Arsenal’s desperate pursuit of a striker in the January transfer window is in dangerous territory, with one of their Champions League rivals initiating talks with a Mikel Arteta target.
The Gunners are eager to strengthen their attacking cohort after Bukayo Saka was ruled out until March and Gabriel Jesus was ruled out for the season due to an ACL injury.
Arteta’s squad is currently threadbare in the forward areas, and thus the club are working to address this issue in the transfer market.
However, as the clock ticks towards the window’s deadline, the likelihood of Arsenal sourcing an appropriate addition gets slimmer.
A potential option for the Emirates hierarchy emerged in reports yesterday, although more bad news has now surfaced on this front.
Bayer Leverkusen in talks over Arsenal target Evan Ferguson
With January a difficult window to operate in, an opportunistic loan deal could represent the most realistic signing for Arsenal.
Reports indicated yesterday that Brighton are willing to loan striker Evan Ferguson this month, although new developments regarding the player have potentially dented Arsenal’s hopes of negotiating a deal with the Seagulls.
According to the Athletic, the Premier League side are now prepared to sell the number nine permanently this January.
West Ham, Everton and Bournemouth are interested in Ferguson, while a permanent bid has already been rejected by Brighton.
It’s possible that this proposal was made by Bayer Leverkusen, who, according to journalist Mark McAdam, have opened talks with the player’s representatives about a prospective deal.
Ferguson has fallen in the pecking order at Brighton after initially showcasing glimpses of brilliance, starting just two league games all season.
With plenty of potential suitors, the deal becomes significantly more complicated for Arsenal, as they’ll have to fend off interest from other parties and stump up a significant fee for the player.
Would Evan Ferguson be a smart signing for Arsenal?
While Ferguson has reportedly rejected Tottenham, this compatibility with Arsenal isn’t enough to justify the Gunners acquiring him.
With the convenience of the potential deal now seemingly gone as Brighton look to sell permanently, the North Londoners shouldn’t pursue the Irishman.
| Ferguson’s Premier League Statistics 2024/25 | |
| Appearances | 27 |
| Minutes Played | 1,367 |
| Goals | 6 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Shots per 90 | 2.17 |
| Expected Goals per 90 | 0.3 |
The 20-year-old has netted just seven league goals in 39 appearances since the start of last season, and is limited in what he can do on the ball.
Arteta is looking for a striker who can score frequently as well as contribute to the build-up and lead the press, and Ferguson doesn’t do any of these things to a high level.
A body is needed purely to give Kai Havertz some respite up top, but Arsenal shouldn’t just add anyone to their squad for the sake of it.
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