Arsenal appear to be pushing hard to make a late move in the winter transfer market as the deadline approaches the final few hours.
For Mikel Arteta, it may have been a frustrating window so far as forward options have seemingly come and gone over the past month.
The Gunners have been in the market for a winger or centre-forward that can make a difference for the rest of the season and beyond.
So far, Arsenal have bid for Ollie Watkins – which has since been rejected by Aston Villa – while contact was made for Mathys Tel.
However, neither appears close to making the switch, while top targets are seemingly more set for the summer rather than the winter transfer deadline day.
That said, Fabrizio Romano may have sparked some hope over possible switches in the final hours of the market for Arsenal.
Fabrizio Romano gives Arsenal transfer deadline day update
With just hours left in the market, many have been resigned to the idea that Arsenal may not get any deals done at all.
That may not be the case though, as transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has hinted at in a broadcast for Give Me Sport on X.
When asked about the lack of activity at the Emirates Stadium, he said: “At the moment, still no guarantee, I’m sure that things are going on behind the scenes because there are many contacts with agents with calls, so Arsenal are still trying to find the right opportunity.
“Let’s see if they will be able to make it happen to share something positive with Arsenal fans.
“For sure something in the summer important, really important will happen in that position [striker] so let’s see what happens last minute today but in general the focus is on getting something really big in the summer transfer window.”
While it suggests a late move could be on the cards before the window slams shut, it certainly makes clear that a deal in the summer is being eyed up.
- READ MORE: Everything you need to know about January 2025 transfer deadline day including closing date and time
Which strikers could Arsenal target in the summer transfer window?
With just a few months between the winter window closing and the summer market opening, plenty of groundwork could be done to land the forward that Arsenal need.
There are a few top targets, though most notably Newcastle’s Alexander Isak is likely to be one of the first names on the list.
Mikel Arteta is claimed to be a fan of the Swedish international, who continues to show exactly why he is a top-level forward with his goal contributions.
In a similar way, Benjamin Sesko appears to be heavily in the fold as the physical RB Leipzig scorer has been a target in recent months.
While those two present a scoring profile, a more creative number nine could be on the cards in Matheus Cunha, who recently signed a new deal that is claimed to have a release clause in it.
Beyond him, it remains to be seen whether a deal for Ollie Watkins will be revived or if other names are in the mix too.
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