EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal hit panic button as striker search intensifies

Steve Kay

• Updated: 13 Nov 2024 11:49 CST
• 3 min read

Exclusive

With the January transfer window fast approaching and Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes hanging by a thread, the Gunners are scrambling to secure a Premier League striker to bolster their squad.

According to sources close to the Emirates club, Arsenal’s management have decided they can’t afford to wait until summer to address the squad's goal-scoring struggles, which have threatened their ambitions to reclaim the Premier League crown for the first time since their 2003/04 ‘Invincibles’ season.

Our contacts at FootballTransfers have already revealed that Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran and Brighton’s Joao Pedro are already high on manager Mikel Arteta’s radar.

However, new information suggests that Brentford’s Yoane Wissa has also emerged as a serious target for the North London club.

STATS

Yoane Wissa

F (CL)

Brentford

Yoane Wissa

F (CL)

Brentford

Premier League

2024/25

• 8

  Games

• 7

  Goals

• 1

  Assists

View all stats

The 28 -year-old Wissa, with seven goals in just eight games this season, has impressed Arsenal’s recruitment team, who see him as a versatile forward capable of playing across the front three. His contributions have been crucial for Brentford, showcasing the clinical edge Arsenal are currently lacking.

Wissa has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €16.3 million and a contract that runs until June 2026. Brentford are unlikely to be easily parted with their star man, however, particularly after losing Ivan Toney in the summer to the Saudi Pro League.

Arsenal’s summer striker plans untouched

While Arsenal initially planned to hold off on signing a striker until the summer - when targets included Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko - the club's recent form has accelerated their search for reinforcements.

With 11 games played, Arsenal sit fourth in the Premier League, having scored fewer goals than the top three sides. This goal disparity, which has been evident as Arteta’s side have scored just once in their last three games, has forced the club to rethink its priorities and take immediate action in the January window.

As Arsenal look to add firepower to keep their title dreams alive, fans can expect an intense winter window as the Gunners aim to bring in a striker who can help deliver the goals needed to push them closer to Premier League glory.

FootballTransfers understands, meanwhile, that this will not change the plans of the management to bring in a high-profile centre-forward during the summer of 2025, with the likes of Gyokeres and Sesko still on the list of Arsenal’s targets.