Arsenal have shelved their pursuit of Alexander Isak due to the huge fee Newcastle are demanding for the striker.
The Magpies have slapped a £115million price tag on Swedish star Isak, forcing the Gunners to pause their chase for him this month. Instead, they will explore alternative targets as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his squad.
A striker remains a problem position for Arteta, with both Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus – who has recently enjoyed a fine run of form – struggling for consistency. If the Gunners are to close the gap on leaders Liverpool, they may well need to bring in a new forward this month.
But with a move for Isak off the table, Arteta will be forced to look at alternative options. Here, Mirror Football looks at five players who could make the cut for Arsenal’s transfer chiefs.
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Victor Osimhen has long been seen as one of the top strikers in the world, but struggled to make a move away from Napoli in the summer. Instead, he was forced to settle for a loan move to Galatasaray.
He has maintained his fine form in Turkey, scoring 13 goals in 16 appearances with his side eight points clear at the top of the Turkish Super Lig. The 26-year-old has the pedigree of firing a team to a league title, having done it with Napoli in the 2022/2023 campaign.
The Nigerian still has a £113m release clause in his contract, though Napoli are reportedly willing to sell him for less than half that figure in January with his contract expiring in the summer of 2026.
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Another option who could rise to the top of the list could be Benjamin Sesko. The RB Leipzig star has continued his impressive form in front of goal, scoring 11 times in all competitions this season.
Sesko helped to fire Red Bull Salzburg to three Austrian Bundesliga titles, before winning the DFB-Pokal after joining Leipzig. Arsenal have previously been linked with the 21-year-old.
That interest could be resurrected again, though he still has more than four years to run on his contract. That could make a deal difficult to be agreed, though Leipzig would likely be willing to accept around £66.6m for him.
It would obviously take a lot of money, but if Arsenal do want to sign a top-class striker this month than Viktor Gyokeres has to be in the conversation. The Swedish star has impressed since joining Sporting Lisbon from Coventry City.
With Ruben Amorim having promised to not pursue for the 26-year-old, the path would appear clear for the Gunners. Like the previous two players, Gyokeres has the pedigree of firing Sporting to the Portuguese title, scoring 41 goals to secure it last season.
He has continued his fine form this term, scoring 21 times in 19 appearances. While his release clause is thought to be around £85million, it is understood Sporting would be willing to lower that price tag.
Santiago Gimenez has proven himself to be a top-class striker, firing both Cruz Azul and Feyenoord to title wins. He has registered at least 20 goals in both of his full seasons in the Netherlands so far.
While he still has two years on his contract, Feyenoord are thought to be looking for less than £50million for him. Gimenez has not played for three weeks during the Eredivisie’s winter break, which means he should be fit and firing.
Gimenez has been a target for several top sides in recent seasons, though there has not been a firm attempt to sign him so far. That could open up the door to Arsenal to make a decisive push for the 23-year-old.
OK… So this would be a move slightly out of the blue. But Arsenal have long been linked with the former England international and brings the added quality of having Premier League experience.
Toney moved to Saudi Arabia in the summer, but has scored just three league goals for Al-Ahli. He does still have three years to run on his contract, which may make it tricky to prise him away this month.
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