Panic. It is as simple as a word to describe the feeling after Gabriel Jesus suffered an injury at the World Cup to realise one of the potential nightmare scenarios coming to life.
The Brazilian underwent successful knee surgery but football.london understands it is too soon to put any return date on the striker. Some reports suggest that an injury of his type can leave players out for something like three months meaning Arsenal would be without him for games against Tottenham, Manchester United and, importantly, Manchester City.
With the January transfer window on the horizon, the club seemingly had plans to strengthen in midfield and the wide areas. These are positions that are light in quality and there are significant gaps between the starters and depth options available right now.
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There are growing discussions amongst supporters that if the club is ‘serious’ about a potential title challenge then they’d throw money at the winter window to secure not only the necessary positions they needed prior to Jesus’ injury but also to cover the stricken forward too. In the real world, this is simply not realistic.
To sign any player good enough to compete with those in the starting eleven is going to be costly. Be it a midfielder or a forward, Edu and Mikel Arteta know that it will cost the club a sizeable investment this winter to do so.
Furthermore, options are typically much trickier to secure in the January window with clubs unwilling to sell other than for far beyond the asking price. Arsenal face this very issue with a critical target Mykhaylo Mudryk who football.london understands is of long-term interest of the Gunners.
Shakhtar Donetsk want serious money for the star winger and even if Arsenal can negotiate a lower fee, he, or any alternatives mentioned like Cody Gakpo, are also going to be very expensive. There’s a feeling Arsenal will spend this January but to get in potentially three, as some are calling for, would need to break records.
Newcastle United are the current record-holders for the highest spend in a winter window. They spent roughly £90m-plus to sign Bruno Guimaraes, Kieran Trippier, Matt Targett, Chris Wood and Dan Burn. A record that had lasted for ten years when in 2011, Chelsea bought Fernando Torres and David Luiz for £75m.
2018 was the year which saw a record amount of £430m spent with Arsenal contributing with their own table-topping expenditure on both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Although the Armenian was part of a swap deal involving Alexis Sanchez moving to Manchester United.
Liverpool signed Virgil van Dijk for a club-record fee and Manchester City brought in Aymeric Laporte and Jack Harrison for £61 million. Newcastle had the luxury of having new owners with a low-spending record prior to the takeover giving near-complete freedom to invest.
Arsenal are coming off the back of another loss made in the financial year, despite it improving on the previous. The reality is the Gunners very unlikely to start smashing records in spending, especially when the calls to sign a striker are for a player who could return, if we’re lucky, not long after the winter window closes.
This comes all before the question of who? Who could Arsenal sign that is worth an investment, better than Eddie Nketiah, available and doesn’t impact the necessities that remain in midfield and the wide role?
The answer… I would love to know. Joao Felix’s reported price tag is reaching ludicrous levels, even former target Cody Gakpo, who isn’t a striker, has seen his price fly up after his World Cup efforts, and Ray Parlour’s suggestion of Ivan Toney was last reported to have been charged by the FA with 232 alleged breaches of betting rules that could see a potential ban like Trippier once received if they’re proven as reported by the BBC.
Wilfried Zaha is another name brought up. Now 30, Zaha has flirted with a move to a big club since his stint at Manchester United for some time and continues to shine at Palace where he is the standout star.
Whether it is worth investing in a player now who Palace know they can still ask for a big fee despite his dwindling contract, it’s worth more to them to keep him to help aid a strong finish, pay a serious wage in the years he’d likely be naturally declining and to play a position which is not his primary role seems too convoluted to commit to. There seem to be too many question marks.
Arsenal should be aggressive this January without question. Bring in the midfielder and wide forward to reinforce the areas that were already calling for further backing and cross their fingers that Jesus returns soon.
Nketiah has shown himself capable of scoring goals in the Premier League in big moments. Furthermore, the return of Emile Smith Rowe adds versatile central options to the existing Gabriel Martinelli and Fabio Vieira who have histories of also operating through the middle.
Does this mean Arsenal aren’t ‘serious’ about a title challenge if they don’t muster up the money to cover Jesus in a position that’s tricky to find talent that’s available, affordable and better than what’s already at the club? No, but I doubt that’ll be enough to convince everyone.
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