#57 - It's no longer fan-fiction, Arsenal have to sign forwards, now
After a disastrous week of finishing and more long-term injuries, the club need to move in the market, now
Arsenal's situation has taken a dire turn, which the club can no longer afford to ignore. With Gabriel Jesus suspected to have suffered an ACL injury in the match against Manchester United, we’re in danger of falling apart.
Mikel Arteta’s attacking options were dangerously thin before the Brazilian’s injury, now they are in a catastrophic situation.
Kai Havertz, already struggling with form, is now our only recognised centre forward. He’s also our backup for Martin Ødegaard and the right-eight role, and one of the only attacking options in the left-eight role. This means we’re asking a lot of a player who looks utterly out of sync with himself and the team.
For a squad with Champions League aspirations, a packed fixture schedule and in the era of five substitutions, this level of neglect in attack is unacceptable.
We all saw it in the summer. Arsenal added Raheem Sterling but he simply replaced Reiss Nelson, who was let go. That’s no increase in quality or quantity. It wasn’t enough then, and it’s even worse now with our attacking depth laid bare.
A lack of planning is to blame, but I do acknowledge Arsenal have also suffered from horrendous luck. Jesus’ potential season-ending injury, Bukayo Saka’s three-month hamstring layoff, and Ethan Nwaneri’s absence for over a month have all come at the same time. Combine that with Havertz’s shooting woes and a sharp decline in form from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, and it’s no wonder Arsenal look blunt in attack.
But this isn’t just about bad luck—it’s about inaction. Leo’s drop-off was predictable, Martinelli’s lack of development is potentially a coaching issue, Jesus has always been injury prone and Saka could only shoulder such demand for a set amount of time.
Arsenal need two forwards this month, not just one. A winger and a centre-forward are essential to salvage the season. The title is likely out of reach, but securing a top-four finish and making a genuine run in the Champions League is critical. The consequences of failure—missing out on top-four and seeing key players question the project—are unthinkable.
Worse teams than Arsenal have lifted the Champions League with a bit of luck in the draw. The club must aim to stay in contention, not fold under pressure.
If the club is serious about this season, they need to push the budget forward. But, January is such a hard market, right?
Well Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, one of the best young wingers in Europe, is about to join PSG this month. Omar Marmoush, one of Europe’s highest performing forwards this season, is going to Manchester City. Forwards are moving, but Arsenal are sitting on their hands. And with each game, asking prices will only be increasing.
So what do we do?
My biggest issue with Kai Havertz, and the recent Martin Odegaard showings is that they are shot shy. Havertz doesn’t hunt the ball in the box, and when it falls to him, he’s inefficient. Odegaard looks scared to shoot at the moment, too.
Viktor Gyökeres is a ready-made solution and one of the best centre forwards that is potentially available. We’re almost programmed to be fussy about forwards under Arteta, and people have poked holes in the Swedes game when assessing him as a target. But he’s a box monster, and a player capable of turning all our control into goals.
For £80m (release clause), Arsenal could have him this month. His physicality, work rate, and goal-scoring ability would give Arteta a much-needed focal point in attack. Waiting for the summer and hoping for Alexander Isak are too risky. Arsenal cannot afford to gamble with uncertainty. Gyökeres is available now, and he could make the difference. He’s one of the best centre-forwards around, and earning just £40,000 per week at Sporting Lisbon and with a release clause ready to be triggered, he is attainable.
The same urgency applies to our winger target, Nico Williams. His release clause won’t change, and neither will his high wage demands, which is reportedly putting us off. We must either pay the money or move on to other targets. He’s a player who could immediately add energy, creativity, and goals from wide positions. If not him, then Arsenal must pivot quickly to an alternative. Sitting idle risks losing momentum entirely. I’ve previously written about several alternatives.
With Kvicha set to join PSG, Arsenal should be banging the door down for Bradley Barcola. A young forward who fits into the long-term vision, but someone who could raise our level now. I’m not sure why PSG would let him go, but they are signing Kvicha who plays in his left-wing position, and neither player is particularly versatile.
RB Leipzig are set to sign a striker, Noah Okafor. This potential helps any move for Benjamin Sesko or Lois Openda, both players Arsenal have been linked with before. Sesko is in the Gyokeres mould of out and out striker, big build. Openda can play as a number 9, but also as a wide forward on the left. Either would really help our attacking ranks and it feels like, with Okafor on the way, they’d sell for the right price.
Two signings could transform the mood around the club, lift the fans, and provide freshness to a team stretched too thin. The time to act is now. Arsenal have two weeks, but the longer they wait, the more damage they risk.
We still have five games to play this month, before hosting Manchester City at the start of February. We cannot afford to be passive. These requirements are no longer fan-fiction, they are essential.