Former Arsenal midfielder Freddie Ljungberg believes the Gunners will need to replace striker Emmanuel Adebayor this summer, rather than relying on their existing offensive force.

The Togo international striker has joined the big-money revolution at Manchester City in a transfer reportedly worth around £25 million.

The Swede, now playing in the United States with MLS outfit Seattle Sounders still monitors his old club and believes Adebayor was a great asset to the squad.

"He's a great player so of course it's a loss," Ljungberg told Sky Sports News. "He's important because he is so big, he can hold the ball up.

"If they want to play with crosses, like they have, I think they need to get someone like him, which is hard."

Ljungberg also believes Manchester City will need to improve in areas other than attack in order to dislodge Arsenal and really impose themselves on the top four this season.

He said, "I hope Arsenal will go above fourth place.

"They [City] have bought a lot of strikers, but to have a proper chance they need to buy some midfielders and defenders."

Arsenal's introductory pre-season fixture against neighbouring club Barnet provided Tomas Rosicky with a 45-minute run-out and a return to football following a lay-off that stretched way back to January 2008.

And there were times during that lengthy spell that had Arsene Wenger wondering whether the Czech Republic international would be able to recover fully from the series of complex hamstring complaints.

"There was a time when I was worried Tomas wouldn't play football again and he felt the same," Wenger told the Daily Telegraph.

"But he had always led a healthy and dedicated life. Mentally he's also very strong. Of course you have to ask and hope if he will ever get back to where we want him to be and the answer looks like 'yes'."
Wenger also commented on the player's willingness to go into 50/50 challenges unhesitatingly, which were an indication of Rosicky's confidence that he had fully recovered.

"At some stage he was even a bit too confident to go into dangerous tackles. We have to manage him well and prepare him well. If he comes through pre-season well he could start the season."

On the club's solitary summer signing, Thomas Vermaelen, Wenger added, "Vermaelen had a good start [against Barnet] and I think he had a good welcome to English football because he got some good challenges here. I think it was a good start for him overall.

"He is strong, solid, calm and when he became more confident in the second half you could see that he passes the ball well. He should be a good addition to the squad, yes."

Arsenal are set to bid for Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar as the seek reinforcements in the front line following Emmanuel Adebayor's departure to Manchester City, according to the Metro.

Real Madrid will be looking to recoup the £20 million they paid for the Dutch international in January and Huntelaar is believed to be keen on a move to the Premier League.

Stuttgart are also closely monitoring the player as there seems little room for Huntelaar among the Galacticos in the Spanish capital, and Arsenal will have to act fast to seal the deal.

So far, the Gunners have added just centre-half Thomas Vermaelen during the transfer window and the fans are desperate for more signings after four years without a trophy.