Gallas backs PSG winger Barcola for Arsenal; Parlour warns against overloading teenage Dowman

Arsenal's recent setbacks—crashing out of the Carabao Cup final to Manchester City and tumbling out of the FA Cup at the hands of Championship outfit Southampton—have left the Gunners clinging to the Premier League and Champions League as their only realistic paths to silverware this campaign.

The Gunners' attacking output has been a persistent concern, and William Gallas reckons the north London outfit need to bolster their firepower. The former defender believes Arsenal should look beyond their current crop of wide options to unlock the best from striker Viktor Gyokeres.

"They've got a good squad and can replicate next season's performance," Gallas told BoyleSports. "Up front they have wingers, but perhaps they need either a world-class striker or a tactical overhaul."

The crux of the issue, according to Gallas, lies in how Arsenal operate on the counter-attack. "The midfielders need to find Gyokeres immediately," he explained. "He wants the ball in front of him in space, but often doesn't receive it because midfielders hold possession. That's Arsenal's style."

Gyokeres has found the net, but Gallas believes he'll struggle to hit 20 goals next season if nothing changes tactically. "He won't dominate the league physically like he did in Portugal if Arsenal maintain their current approach," the ex-defender added.

As for reinforcements, Gallas has identified PSG's Bradley Barcola—a player also on Liverpool's radar—as the ideal candidate to replace the misfiring Gabriel Martinelli and squad player Leandro Trossard.

"Martinelli simply isn't the player he once was," Gallas said. "Trossard is fine for rotation, but you need something different. Between Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Barcola? Barcola every time. With a striker like Gyokeres, you need creators who can feed him goals. That might mean Arsenal need to adjust their style or change their striker altogether."

Elsewhere, Ray Parlour has urged caution regarding teenage sensation Max Dowman, who has impressed during Arsenal's recent struggles. The club legend has warned against thrusting the 16-year-old into the starting XI ahead of Bukayo Saka.

"You can't give a 16-year-old that much responsibility," Parlour told talkSPORT. "Look, it's brilliant what he's doing, but the only thing worth celebrating is his GCSE results coming up. You don't want to pile pressure on a young lad like that."