Arsenal wants top striker in summer, but financial worries linger

Arsenal brass is growing concerned with ongoing injury issues with Gabriel Jesus. The striker has performed fairly well for the Gunners since arriving from rivals Manchester City in 2022. The Brazilian has racked up 32 combined goals and assists in 56 total appearances with the club. Jesus also works well with manager Mikel Arteta’s tactics.

Nevertheless, the now 26-year-old forward has missed significant time due to various injuries since joining Arsenal. The latest knee issue with Jesus has forced the star to remain on the sidelines for the team’s last five matches. Overall, the striker has missed 32 total games with the Gunners because of these issues.

The majority of these problems have been because of a nagging knee injury. Jesus previously tore knee ligaments while with City during the 2017/18 campaign. Nevertheless, the Brazilian went nearly two years without missing a match due to injury before joining Arsenal.

Arsenal’s summer transfer moves may be affected by recent reported losses

As a result of these problems, Arsenal will be in the market for a center forward come summertime. Mail Sport even claims that the Gunners already have a list of potential targets months ahead of the transfer window. This index includes Ivan Toney, Victor Osimhen, Joshua Zirkzee, and Viktor Gyokeres.

Toney has been linked with a potential move across London for months now. Brentford, however, has previously priced the Gunners, and any other club, out of a move for the star striker. Napoli‘s Osimhen would cost Arsenal even more money this summer. Zirkzee and Gyokeres, both capable forwards, could seemingly be the more cost-effective options for the north London side.

Nevertheless, Arsenal have to be careful with their spending looking ahead. It was recently reported that the Gunners declared a loss of more than $65 million for the latest financial year. According to The Telegraph, a significant portion of this hit was directly attributed to Nicolas Pepe’s drop in value.

Arsenal previously purchased the winger for around $90 million in 2019. The move, however, did not work out and the club terminated Pepe’s contract last summer. The Ivory Coast international signed with Turkish side Trabzonspor back in September. He currently has two goals in nine appearances with his new club.

Gunners need fit and capable number nine to help complete team

Despite the losses at Arsenal, the club received a significant financial boost by qualifying for the Champions League. However, the exact numbers of the improvement are unavailable to the public until the next financial year. The club’s performance in this season’s Champions League will also directly affect these figures as well.

Arsenal has been scoring a ton of goals in recent weeks. They have racked up 25 goals in their last six Premier League fixtures. Nevertheless, it remains unclear if they can keep up this pace throughout the remainder of the season. Many would assume that the scoring will eventually start to slow down.

As a result, the Gunners are likely to dip into the transfer market this summer for a new striker. With Jesus sidelined, Arteta has depended on Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz at the center forward position. Both of the players are better at other spots on the pitch. Adding a top center forward to the squad could be the final major piece of the puzzle for Arsenal.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.