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It has been a turbulent couple of seasons at Arsenal, and it still looks like there is more instabilty to come over the next few months. Unai Emery was given the unenviable task of replacing Arsène Wenger after he had spent 22 years in charge of the club, building it very much in his image. Emery was given a job of rebuilding that side, and trying to get them in a position where they were playing his way. In reality, he was always doomed to fail.
When the Spaniard was sacked in November, it seemed inevitable, given the level of performances, and the apparent lack of unity amongst the squad. Arsenal have no doubt taken a huge risk in replacing Emery with Mikel Arteta, who has no managerial experience. He will have learned a lot by working under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, but he looks like he has a big task on his hands at Arsenal.
One of his first jobs will be to sort out the future of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has reportedly told the club he wants to leave to try and win trophies elsewhere. This could prove a big problem for Arteta, as he is without a doubt their most dangerous attacking player, and would leave a huge hole in their attack. There is no doubt that Aubameyang will have to be replaced, and here are five strikers the Gunners could target.
#1 Timo Werner (RB Leipzig)
In replacing a proven goalscorer, it is likely that Arsenal will want to bring in another proven goalscorer, and one man who is certainly that is Timo Werner. The striker has a fine goalscoring record for both RB Leipzig and Germany, so he certainly fits the bill for Arsenal. He has scored 84 goals in all competitions for Leipzig, from just 138 games.
The real issue for the Gunners is that it is likely Werner will want to play Champions League football, and that is something Arsenal may not be able to offer, so it may be that they have to pay an awful lot of money for his services, both in terms of transfer fee and wages. He has scored 18 goals in 16 Bundesliga games so far this season though, so that is a record Arsenal may be prepared to break the bank on.
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#2 Moussa Dembele (Lyon)
Someone who has been constantly linked with a new club in the last few months has been Lyon striker Moussa Dembélé, who has been with the club since a big money switch from Celtic in 2018. He continues to have a strong goalscoring record, having netted 25 times in 51 games for Lyon in Ligue 1, after also enjoying an awful lot of success in Scotland, where he was named Player of the Year in his first season at the club in 2016/17.
If they choose to move for the 23-year-old, it is likely that the Gunners will have to fight off competition from Chelsea, as Frank Lampard is keen to bring in back-up for Tammy Abraham, and sees Dembélé as similar to former team-mate Didier Drogba. He has come a long way since his £20 million move to Lyon, so is likely cost more money this time around, but he could prove of excellent value.
#3 Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)
This is very much a rumour that won’t go away. Wilfried Zaha was constantly linked with a move to the Emirates in the summer, with Arsenal making two bids, while the winger also tried to force through a move from Crystal Palace. The transfer never went through however, and instead, Arsenal spent big money on Nicolas Pépe from Lille, making the Ivorian their record signing in a deal worth £72 million.
There is a chance the move for Zaha could be resurrected, as Arsenal look for someone capable of playing through the middle if Aubameyang leaves. It is well known that Zaha is looking to test himself at the top level again, having struggled during his spell at Manchester United between 2013 and 2015. The 27-year-old is without doubt a fine talent, and he has shown that constantly during his time with Crystal Palace, but he knows that he must prove himself at a top club.
#4 Donyell Malen (PSV)
When it comes to the transfer window, one problem Arsenal could face is budget. It was well documented that in the summer, they had a budget of just £45 million, but went way beyond that with the signings of Nicolas Pépé, Kieran Tierney, David Luiz and Gabriel Martinelli. Therefore, Arsenal may only be able to spend money they make from player sales this January, and there are a lot of areas in the squad they need to improve. And so, they may not have too much money left when it comes to buying a striker.
One potentially cheaper option is PSV forward Donyell Malen, who is enjoying a fine season at PSV. The 20-year-old has scored 11 goals in the Eredivisie so far this season, and has also been capped four times by the Netherlands since the start of the year. He is also a former Arsenal youth player, so he may feel he has unfinished business at the Emirates.
#5 Eddie Nketiah (Leeds United, on loan from Arsenal)
As the Gunners may not have too much money to spend on a new striker in January, it may be that they have to turn to someone who is already at the club. Alexandre Lacazette is obviously a top class striker, so they will be able to rely on him. They also have young Brazilian striker Gabriel Martinelli at their disposal. The 18-year-old has impressed since making the move to the Emirates in the summer, scoring eight goals in all competitions since the start of the season.
Another man they have is 20-year-old Eddie Nketiah, who has spent the first half of the season on loan at Leeds United. He has not always been a first choice pick under Marcelo Bielsa, but has impressed when selected, scoring six goals in all competitions. He may not quite be ready to lead the line just yet, but he could still be of use to Mikel Arteta.
