Arsenal showed on Saturday evening in Brighton why Mikel Arteta would like to bring in reinforcements in the January transfer window.
The Gunners were held to a 1-1 draw on the south coast as Ethan Nwaneri's goal was canceled out by Joao Pedro's penalty. Arsenal were without the likes of Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber and missed the edge they needed in the final third.
Arsenal have long pondered the idea of signing a new striker but were left to rely on Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard on Saturday. They could get a new face this month, but it's a tough time to do business, especially with fellow Premier League sides.
With that in mind, here are the latest headlines from the world of Arsenal transfer news.
Alexander Isak has been on fire of late, scoring in seven consecutive Premier League matches following Newcastle's 2-1 win over Tottenham on Saturday. The Swedish striker is arguably the best striker in the top flight and every goal he scores hurts Arsenal especially given their previous failure to sign him.
Paul Merson recently urged his former club to break the bank for Isak, even though he is valued at £150m by the Magpies. “If I was Arsenal and I had the money I would buy Isak, I would break the bank for him,” Merson told Sky Sports. I think he is the best of the best and he will take Arsenal to the next level.”
However, that seems extremely unlikely as Isak tells Prime Video Sweden: “Playing football at this level has always been a dream and probably the most important dream I have had. Playing in the Premier League for a club like Newcastle, with a fan base like they have here, is extra special.”
Another striker who will not join Arsenal in January is Matheus Cunha. The Brazilian has been in fantastic form this season, scoring ten goals and four assists in the Premier League and has been linked with Arsenal and Manchester United.
But he has verbally agreed a new deal to stay at Wolves, ending all speculation about his future. The 25-year-old wants to stay put and play under new boss Vitor Pereira, rather than move elsewhere this month.
“He is a special player,” Pereira told Prime Video after Wolves defeated Manchester United on Boxing Day. “He can do things that can make a difference in small details. Matheus Cunha, in my opinion, is a player who can achieve high standards in this competition.”
Kieran Tierney is close to a return to Celtic. The left-back made 125 appearances for Arsenal over the course of his five-year contract, but is still nowhere near the first team.
The 27-year-old is keen to return to Glasgow, where he won eight trophies before moving to Arsenal for £25m. Arsenal have opted not to extend Tierney's contract for another 12 months and are in negotiations to let him leave.
He could sign a pre-contract with Celtic to get started in the summer, or he could be loaned out before signing permanently when his contract expires at the end of June.
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