Lineker warns Arsenal lack the superstar to win Champions League as Rodri joins Barcelona

Gary Lineker has warned that Arsenal may fall short in the Champions League again this season due to a lack of elite individual quality, while tipping Rodri’s move to Barcelona as a potential game-changer in the competition.

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, the former England striker acknowledged Arsenal as contenders but stopped short of backing them to go all the way. “Arsenal will be one of the favourites but I don’t think overall they’ve got quite the superstars that some of the other big guns in Europe have,” Lineker said. “I do think Barcelona might be quite tasty and take some beating this season now they’ve got Rodri in there as well in that crucial position.”

Arsenal, who will compete in the Champions League as Premier League champions, have progressed from the quarter-finals to the semi-finals to the final in three successive seasons. Mikel Arteta’s side were eliminated last term by PSG on penalties, and the club is determined to go one step further. They opened this season’s campaign with a win away at Napoli.

Rodri joins Barcelona from Manchester City in a £65 million deal, arriving with a trophy-laden CV that includes multiple Premier League titles and a World Cup winner’s medal — he was also named best player of the tournament. The Spaniard slots into a Barcelona squad that already includes Lamine Yamal, a combination Lineker believes makes them a genuine European force.

Former City defender Micah Richards echoed the concern about Arsenal’s attacking options. “I’ve got no doubts about them in the Premier League but I’m not sure about Arsenal in the Champions League,” he said. “I think for them to be a real force in Europe, Julian Alvarez would have been perfect. I just feel at times that for Arsenal to take their game to the next level, they would be almost complete if they had that superstar striker.”

Arsenal’s search for a world-class forward was widely reported over the summer. The club explored a move for Vinicius Jr before the Brazilian extended his contract at Real Madrid, and were subsequently linked with Atlético Madrid’s Álvarez, who ultimately did not make the move to north London.