Arsenal transfer news: Gunners 'urged' to end January transfer drought as Mikel Arteta reignites forward chase

Arsenal are understood to be under intense pressure to invest heavily in the upcoming January transfer window, following some concerning individual performances and the sale of attacking depth in the summer.

According to football.london, the North London club could not acquire a senior player in the winter market across the previous three years due to financial constraints and a lack of viable options.

The Gunners desperately attempted to add another forward during the summer but saw ambitious moves for Morgan Rogers, Vinicius Junior and Julian Alvarez all ultimately prove fruitless.

Rogers joined Chelsea in a £117m deal, Vini Jr renewed his stay in Madrid and Alvarez did not get his desired Barcelona move, instead remaining at Atletico for the season.

Thus, Mikel Arteta was left severely depleted in the attacking areas after allowing both Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli to depart the Emirates Stadium.

The solitary acquisition of Christos Tzolis has done little to alleviate growing fears regarding their overall squad depth as they compete across multiple fronts.

Arsenal face 'clear message' ahead of January window

The source above suggests that the necessity for winter reinforcements was starkly highlighted during Arsenal's recent 4-2 League Cup win against Ipswich Town.

Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres were both handed starting berths but faced intense scrutiny for their underwhelming individual performances.

This development against weaker opposition has reportedly delivered a clear message to the Arsenal hierarchy that they simply cannot afford to endure another quiet winter window.

A major injury to one of their regular starting attackers could completely derail their campaign if adequate cover is not swiftly secured.

Which forwards could Arsenal target in January?

Navigating the January transfer market is notoriously difficult as reluctant clubs often demand heavily inflated transfer fees for their prized assets.

Any mid-season arrivals are also deprived of a comprehensive pre-season to successfully integrate into Arteta's demanding tactical system, forcing clubs to frequently prioritise Premier League proven targets.

Brentford forward Kevin Schade has recently emerged as a highly attractive domestic option after enjoying an excellent start to the new campaign.

Schade has already scored three Premier League goals for the Bees, including a brace against Bournemouth in gameweek four's 2-2 draw, leaving the Germany international needing just five more league goals to equal last season's return.

French prospect Eli Junior Kroupi is also being heavily monitored by the Gunners' extensive scouting network ahead of the winter window.

However, the youngster's foot injury has prevented him from playing since pre-season, and the 20-year-old is not expected back until late October or early November.

Kroupi, valued at €70m (£60m) by Transfermarkt, had a breakout 2025-26 season, scoring 13 league goals in 33 appearances, 21 of which were starts, to announce himself to English football.

Unfortunately, his surgery denied him a big-money summer move to a big-six side or a leading European heavyweight.