Three January striker options for Arsenal and Arteta

Robin Bairner

• 17 Jan 2024 09:44 GMT
• 4 min read

Arsenal need a prolific No.9 during the January transfer window to bolster their hopes of winning the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta’s side have been dominant in many of their matches this season but a return of 37 goals in 20 matches represents the poorest return for any club in the top five. All of their title rivals are showcasing more firepower.

Arsenal can get more cutting edge by signing a pure centre-forward.

Arteta, of course, knows this. His dream signing is Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, while Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Juventus hitman Dusan Vlahovic have also been linked to the club.

But who are the best options for them this month?

In partnership with data analytics experts SciSports, FootballTransfers has picked out three potential options using the following restrictions.

• Age: Under 25
• Position: Centre forward
• Role: Poacher
• Performance: Top 10% of finishers in last two season
• Performance: Top 33% of offensive positioning in last two seasons
• Potential: SciSkill of 100 or above

Taking out players who are obviously not on the market this month or out of Arsenal's reach, such as Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, here are the best three options for Arsenal.

Jonathan David – Lille

Arsenal scouted David before he moved to Lille and seriously pushed to sign the Canada international at that time.

David has often caught the eye in France, but this season has experienced a more difficult campaign. Nonetheless, he has still managed to score 11 goals in 25 matches, including seven in his last seven, which suggest he is getting back to his best.

Out of contract in 2025, he is known to want a move and the Premier League would be very tempting at this point.

Alexander Isak – Newcastle

FootballTransfers exclusively reported earlier in January that Arsenal have reignited their interest in Newcastle forward Isak, with the St James’ Park side facing Financial Fair Play issues if they do not make a big sale.

The Sweden international, who has scored 10 goals in 16 Premier League outings this season, looks perfect to fill Arsenal’s centre-forward position.

Isak’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) is €47.5 million, which is higher than David’s of €45m, and SciSports believe his ceiling is lower than the Canada star, yet his proven Premier League quality give him an edge.

Goncalo Ramos – PSG

Frustrated by a lack of opportunities at PSG this season after making a big-money move from Benfica in the summer, Ramos could potentially be available via a loan deal.

The 22-year-old has started fewer than half of Les Parisiens’ matches this season, with his influence shrinking instead of growing. He has played only one minute of PSG’s last five Ligue 1 games.

He stepped up impressively to replace Darwin Nunez at Benfica last term, scoring 19 goals in 30 Liga Portugal games plus three in 10 Champions League matches to prove that when he is used in the correct system, he is a menace.