A crisis in attack looms for Arsenal as Mikel Arteta faces the prospect of missing at least four key forwards for the foreseeable future, starting with Saturday’s trip to Leicester City. No Arsenal transfers took place in the January transfer window to address the issue, which came as somewhat of a surprise.
Arsenal’s injury woes continue to mount. Bukayo Saka is sidelined until March after hamstring surgery, Gabriel Jesus is out for the season with an ACL tear, and Gabriel Martinelli faces a month out with a hamstring issue. Now, Kai Havertz has joined the casualty list, tearing his hamstring in Dubai and ruling himself out for the rest of the campaign.
As a result, Ethan Nwaneri, Leandro Trossard, and Raheem Sterling are expected to form a front three for the first time against Leicester—provided no further setbacks arise. Meanwhile, Arteta may struggle to find senior attacking reinforcements on the bench, potentially turning to academy prospects.
Recent Arsenal transfers, or the lack of it, have been brought under severe scrutiny in recent weeks. The Gunners have been criticised for selling young strikers and not buying anyone in January. We will look at the justification for both decisions here.
Why Selling Was a Good Idea?
As Arsenal’s injury woes deepen, questions are being raised over the decision to offload Eddie Nketiah to Crystal Palace and Folarin Balogun to Monaco last year. Right now, both would be invaluable, providing the attacking depth the Gunners sorely lack.
After leaving Arsenal for Crystal Palace in a £25 million deal, rising to £30 million with add-ons, Nketiah, 25, has found life tough at Selhurst Park. The England international, capped once, has netted just twice in 21 outings.
Balogun, 23, has struggled to make a significant impact at Monaco since his £25 million switch. While he has 11 goals in 42 games, injuries and form have limited him to just 10 appearances this season.
Why Not Buying a Striker Was the Right Decision?
Arsenal’s reluctance to panic-buy a striker in the January transfer window was a calculated decision rather than a failure to act. While the club’s injury crisis has stretched Mikel Arteta’s squad thin, rushing into an overpriced or short-term solution could have done more harm than good. Instead, Arsenal’s patience puts them in prime position to land their preferred target in the summer—ensuring a long-term upgrade rather than a temporary fix.
Arsenal have been linked with top-tier strikers such as Alexander Isak, Victor Gyokeres, and Benjamin Sesko—players who would genuinely elevate the team. However, securing these names in January would have been near-impossible due to their clubs’ reluctance to sell. By staying patient, Arsenal increase their chances of getting the right player in the summer, rather than settling for a second-choice option.
It has been reported that Arsenal turned down an option to lean Alvaro Morata till the end of the season. This suggests Arsenal have faith on the current squad he has and is confident that he can find internal solutions to the striker problem.
