Arsenal are in the midst of an attacking injury crisis and with the winter transfer window now open, they will be alert to any opportunities to improve their front line.
Bukayo Saka has undergone hamstring surgery and is expected to be out until March at the earliest. That alone is arguably sufficient cause for Arsenal to be scouring the market over the coming weeks.
Given the fitness concerns over Raheem Sterling and the recent loss of Ethan Nwaneri to an unspecified muscle injury, the gravity of the situation is clear. To add to Arsenal’s issues, the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz were hit by illness over the Christmas period.
Arguably even before this recent spate of absentees, Arsenal needed another first-team forward. The addition of Sterling, a loan signing from Chelsea for the rest of the season on deadline day in September, was effectively an admission of that. The squad being so thin at this point is highlighting an issue that was already there.
Ideally, Arsenal would like a wide forward who can provide long-term cover and competition for the likes of Saka and Martinelli. The question is: who might that be?
The Athletic’s Mark Carey, Anantaajith Raghuraman and Thom Harris have run the numbers to identify some potential targets they may want to look at before the window shuts again on February 3.
Let’s start with a name familiar to all Premier League fans. Wolves’ Matheus Cunha has been one of the star performers in the division this season, with his haul of 10 goals and four assists all the more impressive considering his side have been in and around the relegation zone.
GO DEEPER
Matheus Cunha: Wolves’ man possessed
Cunha thrives when given the freedom to roam as an attacking midfielder, often pulling to the left side of the pitch to find pockets of space between the lines before driving inside. While Arsenal are thought to be admirers of Cunha, his profile might not actually be the best fit for what they need in their starting XI.
Cunha has 10 goals and four assists for Wolves in the league this season (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
The same could be said of Barcelona’s Dani Olmo, who operates best when ghosting into space behind the opposition midfield and releasing runners ahead of him rather than an out-and-out forward who can play on the last line. Barcelona’s ongoing financial saga means Olmo might be available on a free transfer — just five months after rejoining his boyhood club from RB Leipzig in Germany for €60million (£50m; $62m) — although the lack of fee would mean high wage demands that could price Arsenal out.
GO DEEPER
Olmo affair has raised questions over Laporta’s quick fixes – are Barcelona running out of road?
Continuing the theme of well-established names across Europe’s biggest leagues, Leroy Sane is a player Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta knows well from their four seasons together at Manchester City. Sane’s time at Bayern Munich has been limited this season, with just five league games started as summer signing Michael Olise has emerged as new head coach Vincent Kompany’s first-choice right-winger.
Sane could bring characteristics to the table that are similar to Saka’s, as he has the pace to cut inside defenders and beat them on the outside. The 28-year-old is also comfortable on the left and would provide the positional versatility Arsenal crave. He is on course to be out of contract in the summer, but his age (he turns 29 on Saturday) and salary demands might push Arsenal’s focus elsewhere.
Sane has three goals and one assist in the Bundesliga this season (Alexandra Beier/AFP via Getty Images)
The same is true of Paris Saint-Germain’s Marco Asensio, who’s also turning 29 this month. Asensio does not boast the pace of Sane but is a technician who thrives in the right half-spaces. He has a mean shot from distance, which could add unpredictability given Arsenal’s percentage of attempts from outside the box (23.9) is the lowest in the Premier League.
Asensio’s playing time this season has been mixed. In PSG’s past seven Ligue 1 matches, he has played the full 90 minutes twice and been on the bench three times. When he has played, Luis Enrique has used him as a false nine with a decent degree of success. That versatility could be valuable for Arsenal, but he is contracted to the French champions until summer 2026.
Closer to home is a third 28-year-old who has a birthday before this window closes in Adama Traore, whose contract at Fulham expires in the summer. Traore is a known commodity on English shores, having also played for Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Wolves over the past decade, and offers a different profile as a right-footed player who prefers to get to the byline and hang the ball up for his fellow attackers. The pacy Spaniard could prove a useful option off the bench against tired legs but would be unlikely to improve the Arsenal starting line-up should he get into it.
All three players fall within the category of market opportunities, similar to Arsenal’s signing of Leandro Trossard from Brighton & Hove Albion in January 2023 after a lengthy pursuit of Mykhailo Mudryk, who ended up joining Chelsea. But Asensio and Sane could prove expensive, while Traore’s fit is questionable.
Arsenal also hold a long-standing interest in Nico Williams, of Bilbao’s Athletic Club, but given his release clause is just under €60million and would need to be paid in full alongside his salary, them making a January move for the Spain international remains unlikely. Williams is also loyal to his hometown club, having joined their academy at age 11, and is now playing alongside his elder brother, Inaki, in the first team. It’s hard to picture him pushing to leave even if Arsenal do come in.
Despite those difficulties, it’s clear to see why Williams remains a target. While preferring to start on the left and cutting inside onto his powerful right foot, the 22-year-old dazzled as Spain won the Euros last summer with his quick feet and positive runs down the flank. Only three players have attempted more take-ons across Europe this season, while he’s been responsible for 41 per cent of Athletic’s carries into the box, highlighting his importance at driving his team forward.
Even if Arsenal recruit somebody else in the coming weeks, Williams’ name will still be in the mix come the summer window.
Williams has a goal and three assists in La Liga this season (Ander Gillenea/AFP via Getty Images)
When discussing right-footed left-wingers, Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo must be on the Arsenal shortlist.
The 23-year-old Japan international has plenty of experience under his belt, with loan moves to Mallorca (twice), Getafe and Villarreal before being sold to his San Sebastian-based club by Real Madrid in the summer of 2022 — having been schooled at Barcelona’s La Masia academy as a teenager.
Kubo has three goals in La Liga this season but is yet to record an assist (Ander Gillenea/AFP via Getty Images)
Kubo is not shy in bringing the ball forward, with figures of 5.5 take-ons and 5.3 progressive carries per 90 this season being topped by few other La Liga wingers.
As the graphic below shows, Kubo will keep his width, enticing the opposition full-back towards him — hugging the touchline before bursting into life and often driving inside to find a team-mate at the back post.
It is worth noting how versatile Kubo is as an attacking option — able to play on either wing or off a central striker. With Arsenal in desperate need of a rotational option who can fill in anywhere across their forward line, he offers a multifaceted skill set that would be warmly welcomed by Arteta.
Lee Kang-in will be another name familiar to La Liga fans — he formed a prolific partnership with towering striker Vedat Muriqi at Mallorca before a summer 2023 move to PSG. Like Kubo, the South Korean is creative and fleet-footed, able to play anywhere across the front line, and particularly dangerous when he can cut in on his left foot. Lee brings set-piece expertise, providing four dead-ball assists for Mallorca in the 2022-23 campaign, which also saw his defensive appetite spike under Javier Aguirre, making almost four tackle attempts per game as his physical profile continued to build.
The 23-year-old (he’s 24 next month) would not come cheap — PSG are not actively looking to sell and are happy with Lee’s impact on the pitch, with eight goal contributions in just over 10 full Ligue 1 games this season. Any deal would need to be at least double the €22million they paid for him, but Arsenal could be prepared to consider an initial loan with an option to buy.
Lee Kang-in has six goals and two assists in Ligue 1 this season (Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)
Johan Bakayoko of Eindhoven’s PSV has regularly been linked with a move away from Dutch football in recent months — and with good reason.
As a left-footed player operating on the right wing, the 21-year-old is a fearless dribbler, with 6.1 take-ons attempted per 90 putting him in the top 10 per cent of attacking midfielders and wingers in the top-flight Eredivisie.
Such strong running power is coupled with end product. Bakayoko’s 21 goal involvements (12 goals and nine assists) last season was the fifth-highest in the division — and the most for a winger — to help PSV win the title, and he has followed that up with five goals and an assist across 14 games in this one.
While many of his ’shot-creating actions’ — the two attacking actions that lead to an effort at goal — come from those crosses and passes, a healthy smattering are via his aggressive dribbling, where he’s able to drive inside or outside the defender facing him.
There are still some rough edges to sand down in Bakayoko’s game, but at his age there is plenty of potential and the opportunity to nurture the Belgium international over a long period.
Arsenal have had success historically shopping in the French market and there may be three data-led options worth exploring this month in Ligue 1.
The first of these is Edon Zhegrova, a 25-year-old who has enjoyed a strong past 18 months with some eye-catching performances for Lille.
Zhegrova has four goals and an assist in Ligue 1 this season (Denis Charlet/AFP via Getty Images)
While his goalscoring numbers might not jump off the page — 10 in Ligue 1 since the start of last season — Zhegrova is a disruptor in his side’s attack. Defenders will often double up on the Kosovo international, such is the magnetic pull he creates with his fearless dribbling.
As he frequently drops the shoulder to unbalance his defender, Zhegrova can drive outside to the byline or inside onto his stronger left foot — frequently unleashing a shot from distance when given half the chance.
A move to the Premier League would be a big step up in quality, but Zhegrova has Champions League experience to show he can operate at the highest level, contributing four goals and an assist across six league-phase games so far this season.
With his contract expiring in the summer, there could be an opportunity for Arsenal to pounce now and get him for a good price. Zhegrova could provide the perfect profile of a player capable of making an impact but likely to accept his place on the bench once Saka returns.
Dilane Bakwa has established himself as an ever-present in a middle-of-the-road Strasbourg side and could be another cost-effective option to bolster Arteta’s attacking options.
Able to play anywhere across the forward line, the 22-year-old is comfortable taking the creative responsibility, with 31 chances created representing 24 per cent of his side’s total tally in Ligue 1 so far this season. A return of five goals and 11 assists since the start of 2023-24 suggests he is more of a creator than a deadly finisher from wide, but his delivery — from open play and set pieces — is highly regarded by his team-mates.
His discipline in and out of possession might be something Arteta would need to work on, but there is plenty of talent to work with. BlueCo-owned Strasbourg’s strong connection with London rivals Chelsea might make a sale to Arsenal logistically difficult, but doesn’t mean a move should not be explored.
Finally, Lyon’s Ernest Nuamah has found life difficult this season, earning just five starts in the league under Pierre Sage in what is his second campaign at the club. The 21-year-old Ghana international came close to a move to the Premier League in the summer, with Fulham offering a £15million deal, only for the transfer to collapse during the medical — Nuamah fled in tears having not wanted to go to the west Londoners.
Nuamah has played only 410 minutes of football in Ligue 1 this season (Olivier Chassignole/AFP via Getty Images)
The pacy Nuamah is a willing runner to stretch defences, which can have two positive outcomes. The first is to force the opposition back line to retreat, which can make space for his team-mates. The other is that he can receive the ball himself in advanced areas to make an impact. Only four players averaged more progressive passes received in Ligue 1 last season, which points to his willingness to stay high and hug the touchline.
Developed by the Right to Dream academy in his home country before starring for Nordsjaelland in Denmark, Nuamah has followed in the footsteps of Mohammed Kudus and Kamaldeen Sulemana — both of whom eventually made the move to the Premier League — in progressing from Ghana to Europe.
Lyon are in a dire financial situation, with relegation from Ligue 1 a potential punishment, so would likely be willing to sell Nuamah for a bargain price, meaning a move to sign him could be low risk for Arteta.
Additional reporting: James McNicholas
(Top photos: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)
