In Arsenal’s last two games against Newcastle and Manchester United in the EFL Cup semi-final first-leg and the FA Cup third-round tie respectively the Gunners created a combined XG of 6.44 goals yet Mikel Arteta’s team managed just one goal across those two ties one of which went to extra-time which was a deflected strike from center-half Gabriel no matter what your take is on XG stats it has been clear for all to see in the past week that Arsenal currently have a real issue when it comes to both creating clear chances and finishing them off when they do come this has been a recurring theme in recent games and has raised questions about Arsenal’s attacking depth and efficiency particularly as the club faces key fixtures in both domestic and European competitions the struggles of Gabriel Martinelli Kai Havertz and other forwards have only amplified these concerns
the clubs Arsenal has paid the most money to in transfer fees highlight the significant investment the club has made in recent years in the pursuit of success from Sampdoria with the signing of Lucas Torreira to Lille for Nicolas Pepe Arsenal’s transfer dealings have often been a topic of debate among fans and analysts alike the transfer fees reflect the club’s ambition but also underline the pressure on players to perform and justify their price tags this pressure becomes even more evident when looking at performances like those in the recent games against Newcastle and Manchester United
in the FA Cup defeat to Man United on penalties at the Emirates on Sunday captain Martin Odegaard had his penalty saved in normal time whilst Kai Havertz missed two gilt-edged opportunities and Declan Rice should have scored with a close-range header all in the 90 minutes yet in extra-time for half an hour against a tired 10-man Man United Arsenal created next to nothing both the lack of clinical finishing and creativity was on show in the north London frost Arsenal’s front-three right now looks depleted Gabriel Jesus was stretchered off with what appeared to be a serious knee injury to further exhaust Arteta’s forward options with star player Bukayo Saka and exciting youngster Ethan Nwaneri already sidelined
following a sensational 2022/23 campaign in which he scored 15 non-penalty Premier League goals as a 20-year-old Gabriel Martinelli’s performances have now not been up to scratch for almost two years yet he starts almost every game for the Gunners due to their lack of alternatives the Brazilian has played 29 games across all competitions this season but provided just six goals and two assists meanwhile upfront Kai Havertz’s confidence looks shot to pieces following a string of big chances missed in recent games as illustrated in the graphic above whilst Saka’s numbers are superb and Havertz’s are adequate the rest of Arsenal’s forward-line have been underperforming since the start of last season
if you asked most Arsenal fans their dream signing this January they would probably say Alexander Isak but it is unrealistic to expect the Gunners to fork out the huge fee Newcastle would likely demand this January however there is no doubt the club needs reinforcements in what feels like a very key transfer window for Arsenal the club is at a crossroads they have made huge strides forward under Arteta and have begun to challenge for the top trophies again but they now must prove they can get over the line and get silverware with this in mind here at Transfermarkt we have picked out five attackers the Gunners could sign this January with a market value of €70 million or less
the first name that naturally springs to mind when addressing Arsenal’s need for a top left-winger is probably Nico Williams the 22-year-old shone for Spain at Euro 2024 and has become a star at Athletic Club he has a €58m release clause which is active and has made it no secret he plans to move on from the Bilbao-based side one day however there are still a number of stumbling blocks in the way of a potential move Athletic Club requires the entire €58m fee to be paid upfront which limits chances of staying within the Premier League’s PSR rules the player is also reportedly on a high wage north of €200k-a-week which would further burden Arsenal’s finances he has also in the past mapped out his preference to one day join Barcelona his numbers in LaLiga this season have also been underwhelming with just one goal and three assists in 17 appearances nevertheless needs must and the Gunners being able to sign a winger with Williams’ pedigree and potential for just €58m could be an opportunity too good to miss
