"My price tag has just gone straight up" - Arsenal star says he'd score 20 goals a season as a striker

Arsenal defender Rob Holding has jokingly claimed that he will score 20 goals a season if he plays as a striker for the Gunners.

The English defender has found first-team opportunities hard to come by at the Emirates lately. He has made just four starts in nine league games from Arsenal's 28 matches played this season. This is partly because the Ben White-Gabriel Magalhaes partnership has flourished under Mikel Arteta.

Since the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Barcelona in January, the Gunners have lacked depth in the striker position. When asked by Sky Sports how many goals he could score in 38 games if he lined up in attack for the club, Holding jestingly said (via HITC):

"We’ll go with 20, 20 goal a season striker mate, my price tag has just gone straight up!”

Holding has become a highly respected member of the Arsenal squad despite his lack of game time. Kieran Tierney recently revealed that the 26-year-old is always looking to boost team morale when the chips are down.

Holding has scored just two goals in 132 appearances for the club across all competitions, so don't expect to see him in an attacking role any time soon.

Arsenal's young brigade of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli have also done wonders for the club this season in attack. The Gunners have not felt the need for a target-man up front.

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Team morale at Arsenal has been transformed this season

The Gunners have been a joy to watch this season

It's fair to say that Arsenal fans have been through the wringer over the past few years. The north London giants haven't qualified for the UEFA Champions League since 2017, when club legend Arsene Wenger was still in charge. They missed out on playing in European competitions for the first time in over two decades this season.

Troublesome times have been rife at the Emirates Stadium. But this season, things seem to have changed for the better. The Gunners squad seems like a cohesive unit, with players seen encouraging one another during difficult times.

The signings of Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Martin Odegaard have also worked wonders for the side. The mood around the Emirates is jovial and optimistic, a stark contrast to the ominous feeling that has reverberated throughout the stadium over the last few years.

If Arsenal secure Champions League qualification, fans can expect the momentum to build even further, with Arteta impressing at the helm. The Gunners currently occupy fourth place in the Premier League table, three points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur with a game in hand.