Arsenal Needs a Goal Scoring Boost, but January Transfers Carry Risks
Arsenal Needs a Goal Scoring Boost, but January Transfers Carry Risks
Arsenal is in need of a goalscorer to fuel their Premier League title ambitions.
The Gunners might aspire to compete with Liverpool for the title, but their current goal tally falls short of the mark. Liverpool's Mohamed Salah leads the pack with 18 league goals, followed by Luiz Dias with eight. Arsenal's top scorer, Kai Havertz, has only seven goals, and Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, potential challengers for the Golden Boot, are injured.
Omar Marmoush, an Egyptian striker with 15 goals and 10 assists for Eintracht Frankfurt, has been linked to several top Premier League clubs, including Arsenal. However, it appears Manchester City will be his new home, a move that seems less than ideal given their surplus of center-forwards.
West Ham United's predicament is similar, with injuries to Niclas Fullkrug and Michail Antonio leaving them in need of a striker. Last night's match against Fulham saw Lucas Paqueta lead the attack, but their previous January signing, Danny Ings, delivered just two goals in 17 appearances. General consensus suggests that January transfer window signings often struggle to make an immediate impact.
Liverpool's Cody Gakpo and Sheffield United's Ben Brereton Diaz are the exceptions. Gakpo claimed seven goals in the spring of 2023, while Brereton Diaz bagged six goals for Sheffield United the previous season, following a move from Villareal in January. Other recent signings, though, have failed to leave a lasting mark, with Chris Wood managing just two goals for Newcastle United in the spring of 2022 and Matheus Cunha scoring only two goals after joining Wolverhampton Wanderers in January 2023.
The challenges associated with hitting the ground running are evident in Wout Weghorst's case. A prolific scorer in Germany, he managed only two Premier League goals following his move to Burnley, despite replacing the club's leading scorer, Chris Wood. Weghorst's struggles persisted at Manchester United, where he failed to score a single league goal in the spring following his transfer.
Persuading a club to let go of its top goalscorer in January is a difficult task. Even if Chris Wood only netted two goals for Newcastle United in the 2021/22 season, his sale left Burnley without the necessary firepower to avoid relegation.
If Arsenal can unearth a player akin to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – a successful January signing who contributed 10 goals in the final months of the 2017/18 season – their title push could gain momentum. The challenge, however, lies in securing top talent without breaking the bank and persuading their current clubs to part with key players.
Arsenal could consider targeting Alexander Isak during the January transfer window to boost their goalscoring options. Isak, currently at Real Sociedad, has shown promising form with 12 goals in La Liga this season.
Alternatively, Omar Marmoush's move to the Premier League might be a more feasible option for Arsenal, considering Manchester City seems to have secured his services. Marmoush's goalscoring and assisting abilities could provide a much-needed boost to Arsenal's attack.