Arsenal's lack of a traditional, prolific, number nine was on full display at The Emirates on Sunday as they were beaten 2-0 by Aston Villa in the Premier League. Gabriel Jesus led the line for the Gunners, with Kai Havertz dropping back into central midfield, and failed to find the back of the net as Mikel Arteta's side scored zero goals from 1.64 xG (Expected Goals).
They are now two points behind reigning champions Manchester City in the race to secure the title, which means that their lack of firepower in the number nine position could ultimately cost them silverware.
Edu and Arteta are seemingly already hard at work to resolve that issue in the upcoming summer transfer window, though, as Arsenal have been linked with several strikers.
Arsenal's emerging interest in prolific marksman
According to CaughtOffside, an 'emerging' target for the Gunners ahead of the 2024/25 campaign is Feyenoord marksman Santiago Gimenez. The report claims that the Mexico international is well liked in North London as Arteta is eyeing up a possible swoop to add the impressive centre-forward to his squad in the summer.
However, it states that fellow Premier League side and rivals Tottenham Hotspur are long-time admirers of the attacker, and could, therefore, provide competition for his signature this year.
CaughtOffside add that Sporting striker Viktor Gyokerers, who was playing in the Championship with Coventry City last season, is also under 'serious consideration' by the Gunners in their pursuit of a new number nine.
The report did not reveal how much it would take to sign Gimenez this summer but 90Min claimed, earlier this month, that Feyenoord are looking for a record Eredivisie fee within the region of €100m (£85m) – the fee that Manchester United paid Ajax to sign Antony in 2022 – for the talented attacker.
Santiago Gimenez's goalscoring record this season
The 22-year-old forward has been in prolific form throughout the 2023/24 campaign so far for the Dutch side and could be a fantastic signing for Arteta if the lethal whiz can adapt to English football. He has produced 24 goals and six assists in 39 appearances in all competitions for Feyenoord, which is more than one strike every other match on average.
Bukayo Saka
14
Kai Havertz
9
Leandro Trossard
8
Martin Odegaard
7
Declan Rice
6
As you can see in the table above, Arsenal have spread the goals out across their attack in the Premier League this season but do not have one outstanding option in the final third. Gimenez, meanwhile, has plundered an eye-catching 21 goals, to go along with five assists, in 29 Eredivisie games for his club so far this term.
The Mexican dynamo, who was hailed as a "bagsman" by analyst Ben Mattinson, has showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a consistent basis in the Netherlands, but is yet to prove himself in a major European league.
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This means that it would be a gamble to bring him over to the Premier League, particularly for a staggering £85m fee, as there is no guarantee that his 24-goal season would be replicated in England.