Arsenal now want to sign a £165,000 per week new forward, and have got the blessing of Mikel Arteta to do so with the Gunners boss believed to be a huge fan of the player.
Arsenal need a new forward
Three poor results and more injuries inside a week have left Arsenal desperate for January signings. The Gunners were held to a 1-1 draw in the Premier League against Brighton, in a game in which Ethan Nwaneri was taken off at half-time with an issue that is set to sideline him for several weeks.
“Unfortunately he has picked up an injury and he is going to be out for a couple of weeks,” Arteta said last week. “It’s a muscular injury. He didn’t really know, to be fair. He said, ‘I am feeling something but I don’t really know what it is’.”
And following a disappointing 2-0 loss to Newcastle in the home leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, disaster struck again against Manchester United as Gabriel Jesus was stretchered off in the first half with what looked to be a serious knee injury, and initial indications suggest he could be out for another long period of time.
Exiting the FA Cup on penalties, Arteta did not sound hopeful about the future of his no.9, admitting: “Big worry, that’s my feeling. He had to come off on a stretcher with a lot of pain, touching his knee. It’s not looking good.
“I think it’s the other one. The worrying factor is the feeling that he had. When he had to come off and the pain that he was in.”
Jesus’ injury leaves Arsenal with just four senior forwards fit at present, with Bukayo Saka also sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Kai Havertz
Leandro Trossard
Gabriel Martinelli
Raheem Sterling
But, with the January transfer window open, the Gunners have the chance to bolster their ranks, and it has again been claimed that they are looking at one player in particular.
Arsenal want to sign "unique" winger
According to a report from The Independent, Arsenal are still keen to sign Nico Williams despite his mammoth £165,000 a week wages and desire to increase that number significantly with his next move.
The Spaniard has long been linked with a move away from Athletic Bilbao, and is believed to have a release clause in his current contract sitting at £47m, which would in theory make the deal a relatively simple one in January.
Alexis 2.0: Arsenal set to make bid for 'one of the best in the world'
Arsenal could repeat their Alexis Sanchez move in 2025.
1 ByMatt DawsonJan 13, 2025
And the report claims that “they want Williams” but his wage demands are “very high”, though given that Mikel Arteta “loves” the young Spaniard it may well be a risk worth taking.
Though he has struggled for goals so far this campaign, Williams drew widespread acclaim for his role in Spain’s EURO 2024 winning side, with Jose Mourinho labelling him “unique” and “wonderful” before admitting that he preferred him to Lamine Yamal, who was named the tournament’s golden boy.
Given Arsenal’s current situation, they are likely to have to overpay to secure reinforcements in the coming weeks with clubs sensing the north Londoners’ desperation. With Williams having an attractive release clause and being one of Arteta’s favoured options, the hefty wages may well be a risk worth taking.