Arsenal have been here before. The ongoing debate over whether they should sign a striker in January is similar to the atmosphere surrounding the club three years ago when the Gunners considered signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang following his surprise move to Barcelona A replacement.

Arsenal are convinced that the ideal player does not exist, so they have decided not to compromise or gamble by looking for alternatives, but rather to trust that the people at the club can get the job done. They ultimately paid a high price, missing out on the Champions League by just two points, with late-season defeats to Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur costing them dearly.

The final table shows Arsenal in fifth place with 61 goals. Champions Manchester City ended with 99 points and Liverpool ended with 94 points.

The Gunners have adopted a disciplined approach to the transfer market during manager Mikel Arteta's five-year reign, preferring to wait for their top targets or move on to what is available for less in some cases. Replacement options earned. This has served them well, transforming them from top-four hopefuls to title contenders over the past two seasons.

News this week that they are leading the way to sign Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi is a reminder of that longer-term view. If they are successful, the deal will be seen as a major move that will bolster their midfield strength and take the pressure off the club to tie down one or both Jorginho and Thomas Partey in their The contracts will all expire at the end of this season.

There are more pressing priorities, though. As former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra said last week: "Arsenal is like watching Netflix: you always have to wait for next season."

Maybe now is the time to seize the moment. No one thinks of Arsenal as a midfielder right now. Manchester City's dramatic fall from grace this season has created an unexpected opportunity that Arsenal, second for the past two years, should have had the best chance of seizing; instead, Liverpool opened up the table with a game in hand A four-point gap at the top of the table.

Faced with criticism of a weak attack, Arteta has repeatedly pointed to Arsenal's 91 goals last season, the club's record in the Premier League. But too many games follow a similar pattern: limited chances created from open play, and those chances are often squandered, relying on set-pieces to mask inefficiency, or relying on Martin Odegaard or Bukayo Saka's Brilliant moment.

Arsenal's narrow victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night was well deserved but did little to break the cycle. They led Aston Villa 2-0 at home on Saturday, scoring two goals in the game, but conceded twice late on to earn a point. The result could prove detrimental to their Premier League title chances, as it was when they met in similar circumstances in April, when Villa ran out 2-0 winners to hand Arteta's side the A heavy price was paid.

That defeat for Villa came during a two-legged Champions League quarter-final loss to Bayern Munich, and sources have since told ESPN that the club are looking to strengthen their forward line in the summer of 2024. They ultimately chose not to do so and instead signed the left winger - with Ricardo Calafiore and midfielder Mikel Merino back just before deadline day, Chelsea abruptly dropped their demands and finally The move to bring Raheem Sterling on loan became a reality because they thought the numbers worked and Arteta knew the player worked well together at Manchester City.

A rejuvenated Sterling might make a big difference, but a version in need of a fix won't. Can they wait again this month, or will a realistic chance of winning the league title for the first time in 21 years require a greater sense of urgency and ambition?

---

The root cause of Arsenal's decision not to pursue the striker last summer was Benjamin Cesc's change of heart, opting to sign a new contract with RB Leipzig rather than seek a transfer. Arsenal assessed their options but ultimately chose not to refocus their goals.

Newcastle were unwilling to let Alexander Isak leave and the Gunners were not even involved in the conversation, Ivan Toney left Brentford for Al Ahly and Victor Osimhen traded Napoli to Galatasaray.

Other strikers were also considered, but Arsenal decided not to compromise. The decision looked increasingly questionable as the team struggled to find a consistent rhythm in the final third.

Their impressive effectiveness from set-pieces has gone from a welcome sideline to arguably their main threat, especially with Odegaard out for several weeks with an ankle problem and, more recently, with Sakain Hamstring surgery and out until March.

Arsenal's build-up has long focused on the combination of Odegaard and Saka on the right, supported by full-back Ben White. Before the second leg against Bayern in April, then-Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel made no secret of this: "Saka and Odegaard always attack on the right. They try to create overlap there."

Saka is unavailable now, as was Odegaard earlier in the season, while White has been sidelined since November with knee surgery.

Odegaard initially returned in good form, Saka's numbers were still impressive before he got injured, and Timber did his best to replace Whyte, but this offense hasn't been all that great this season. efficient. Gabriel Martinelli's lack of form on the left has compounded the problem, leading to his omission from the starting line-up for Wednesday's north London derby, amid abuse directed at him and his family on social media , Kai Havertz's performance in front of the goal has also declined. .

That's not to say Arsenal are imploding - far from it. They have only lost two league games this season, and judging from the current situation, the gap with Liverpool is also within control. However, the lingering feeling that they need something extra in their offense is unavoidable. What is often underestimated is that the Gunners are not necessarily focused on an out-and-out striker.

Arteta tends to favor players who can play in multiple positions, which speaks to the depth of the squad, and Saka's injury suddenly left 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri trying to fill the void on the right wing. Gabriel Jesus could have played there - sources say he would actually like to play there more often - but now there are fears he will miss the season after undergoing ACL surgery on his left knee The rest of the game.

Martinelli's performance on the right wing seemed inconclusive, while Sterling made only his third league start of the season against Tottenham and was better off the ball than on it. The possibility of signing someone more suited to the wing could be attractive, especially given Arteta's enthusiastic defense of Havertz as a centre-forward.

Sources told ESPN that after the defeat to Bayern, the club's top brass expressed the belief that they needed a little more spark in the final third. Something like this could come from a forward or a wide player. So, who can they go after?

---

Sources told ESPN that people familiar with Cesco's situation at Leipzig believe he could be available this summer. One source said his transfer fee would be around €70 million or €75 million. It is unclear whether Leipzig will consider sanctioning the transfer in January, but Arsenal are yet to test their resolve.

Isaac can be said to be a striker in good form in Europe at the moment. The Sweden international scored twice in Newcastle United's 3-0 win over Wolves, making it his eighth consecutive Premier League game to score. Only three players have achieved a longer streak: Ruud van Nistelrooy twice, Jamie Vardy twice and Daniel Sturridge.

The amount of transfer fee required to get Newcastle to part with Isaac is unclear, but one source said it could be as high as £150m. It remains to be seen whether a deal can be negotiated, but he is contracted on Tyneside until 2028 while Newcastle compete for Champions League qualification. They are currently only 6 points behind Arsenal in the standings and have a clear advantage in the League Cup semi-finals against the Gunners, leading 2-0 in the first leg. Letting him go now seems unlikely.

Arteta appeared coy when asked about Victor Guikres ahead of Arsenal's Champions League clash with Sporting Lisbon in late November. There is a distinct feeling that if Guikres is to go anywhere it will be to reunite with Manchester United's Ruben Amorim, but concerns over profit and sustainability rules (PSR) at Old Trafford exist There is clear concern that this shows they lack the budget to complete a deal like this this month.

Should Arsenal consider a wide player, Athletic Club's Nico Williams has been on their radar for some time, with sources telling ESPN the 22-year-old's contract has a release clause of around €60m . It's been widely reported that Barcelona are monitoring Williams' situation, but a January deal may not be an easy one for anyone: Sources tell ESPN that Williams didn't leave in the summer, at least in part because of his Want to attend a potential Europa League final at Atlético's San Mamés Stadium.

The Gunners and Tottenham Hotspur are also tracking Matheus Cunha, but reports suggest he is close to signing a new contract to stay at Wolves.

Elsewhere, Brentford boss Thomas Frank ruled out Brian Mbemo leaving the club this month. Teammate Eoin Visa is admired by several Premier League clubs.

Arsenal have previously been linked with Lille's Jonathan David - whose contract expires at the end of the season - and Dusan Vlahovic, who has joined on loan from Paris Saints. With the arrival of Randal Kolo Muani, Dusan Vlahovic will face new competition for the Juventus spot. -Germain. Sources have told ESPN that Arsenal considered Vlahovic during the January transfer window when Aubameyang left three years ago, but ultimately believed his agent was only seriously considering a move from Fiorentina to Juventus at the time Tus. Whether something has changed in the meantime remains to be seen.

January is a tough window for all clubs and no choice is easy, but there is certainly a feeling among many supporters that Arsenal must do everything they can to maximize their title chances. Make some changes.