Arsenal are in the market for another attacker, with one world-class star on the radar.
Mikel Arteta's side recorded a club-record number of Premier League goals last season, but have been criticised for their attacking output. The Gunners lack a goalscorer comparable to rivals Erling Haaland or Mohamed Salah, instead operating with false nine, Kai Havertz.
Raheem Sterling joined Arsenal on deadline day in a loan move but rumours persist that Arteta is eyeing another forward – with fresh reports emerging today over a long-term target potentially being on the move.
Arsenal have six forwards – yet could sign another
Following the signing of Sterling from Chelsea, Arteta had six options for front three: Havertz and Sterling, along with Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus.
While all of them offer versatility, Premier League experience and quality to combine with one another, however, arguably none of them offer Arsenal the kind of transitional inevitability that rivals boast. The Gunners still don't counter-attack with the quality that they have in other game-states – making a pacy signing likely at some point for the frontline.
Florian Plettenberg has recently posted an update on X (formerly Twitter) regarding Arsenal's interest in Bayern Munich star, Leroy Sane, who would answer plenty of questions in north London.
“Arsenal continue to closely monitor Leroy Sane's situation and remain among the interested clubs should a contract extension with Bayern beyond 2025 not work out,” the journalist says.
Ranked at no.7 in FourFourTwo's list of the best right-wingers in the world right now, Sane has worked with Arteta before at former club Manchester City, crediting the Basque with transforming his game.
“He actually really helped me at City. We had a lot of individual talks about how I can improve, strengths, my weaknesses, we worked a lot,” Sane told the Mirror earlier this year, regarding his time with Arteta. “I made huge improvements under him, he gave that to me. I still keep that in my mind and put that in my game – positioning, how to behave in certain positions. I’m thankful.”
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Following sporting director Edu Gaspar's departure, Arteta may well be granted even more influence over identifying signings – and could well reunite former City frontline Sane, Sterling and Jesus up front for the Gunners.
In FourFourTwo's opinion, however, links between Arsenal and Sane are wide of the mark. Sane is currently locked in a stalemate with his Bavarian employers over where his future lies, with his contract set to expire next summer – and any rumours that there are interested parties in the German winger are likely surfacing as part of a negotiating tactic from the player's camp.
As one of Bayern's highest earners, Sane will command a huge salary, were he to leave the Bundesliga. Whether Arsenal would be happy to accommodate that and make him one of their highest earners remains to be seen, with a centre-forward more likely to be targeted than a winger.
Sane is worth €60 million, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal take on Inter Milan tonight when Champions League action returns.
