Arsenal keen on signing striker who has scored 17 goals this season - Reports

Arsenal are reportedly looking to sign Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez when the transfer window reopens in January.

The Gunners are second in the Premier League, trailing leaders Liverpool by two points after 19 games. However, they have struggled in the attacking third recently, none more so than in their last league outing, a 2-0 home defeat to West Ham United in midweek.

Mikel Arteta's side dominated proceedings and had a record 77 touches inside the West Ham box but failed to score. The Gunners have scored 36 times in the league this season, with Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah (five each) contributing 10 of them.

Arteta knows that he needs more variety and clinicality in the attacking third to sustain his challenge for trophies in the second half of the season. As such, CBS Sports (via Caught Offside) has reported that the Gunners are looking to sign Martinez.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner has 17 goals and four assists across competitions this season for Inter. That includes 15 goals and all four assists in Serie A as the Nerazurri lead the standings by five points after 18 games.

The 26-year-old is contracted with the San Siro club till 2026, so a move is not going to be cheap. It's also not known if the Argentine is looking for a challenge outside Italy.

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"If the team plays like this, they are going to win lots of games" - Arsenal manager on West Ham defeat

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is far from pressing the panic button after his team slumped to a disappointing defeat at home despite dominating for large swathes.

The Gunners were undone by strikes from Tomas Soucek and Konstantinos Mavropanos as they squandered the opportunity to displace Liverpool at the top with a win.

However, ahead of their final league game of the year at Fulham on Sunday (December 31), Arteta knows that a similar performance like in the West Ham game would produce rich dividends:

"It’s no panic, it’s about trying to do more, do better and win games," he said as per the Gunners' website. "If the team plays like this, they are going to win lots of games"

Nevertheless, the boss added that the team needs to improve in both boxes if they are to win the league:

"If we don’t improve in the boxes, then no. Because at the end, that’s what it is, but generating the rest, yeah you say it’s a record (for touches in the box), no?"

Arsenal won 3-0 on their last league visit to Fulham in March this year.