Mikel Arteta reflects on Arsenal's defeat at Liverpool
Arsenal have made signing a striker their top priority ahead of the January transfer window, according to reports. The Gunners missed out on a couple of targets during the summer transfer window and appear keen to avenge for those failures.
Arsenal technical director Edu has reportedly decided the club's transfer priority (Image: GETTY)
The Frenchman’s current deal expires next summer and fresh terms are yet to be agreed. He has been linked with Atletico Madrid.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, an elite forward was sought in the last days of the summer transfer window and will indeed continue to be the priority heading into January.
However, they could find the winter window difficult to navigate given the premium fees requested for players, with teams often unwilling to sell stars mid-season.
Speaking to The Arsenal Lounge, Romano said: "From what I'm told the priority for Arsenal, in (the) last days of the summer window and in January, or next summer if it won't be January, is a striker.
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"They want to sign an important striker, they know they need an important striker so the mission is to get one. They were trying for Lautaro Martinez in the summer but it was really complicated to sign him, almost impossible.
"Then they were trying for Tammy Abraham, who was another option but then he joined Roma. They always wanted this kind of striker and they are working on this.
"I expect Arsenal to sign a new striker but I don't know if they will be able to do it in January because the January transfer window is never easy."
Arsenal were the Premier League’s biggest spenders during the summer.
Around £150m was spent on the likes of Martin Odegaard, Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares.
Arsenal news: Can Mikel Arteta win another trophy? (Image: EXPRESS SPORT)
Edu and Arteta had prioritised signing younger players, with the average age of additions standing at 22. Targets Martinez and Abraham are both 24.
"It was a really complicated market. We had a lot of things to do, I think we had 16 or 17 transactions in total, which is a lot,” Arteta told the club’s website in September.
Pressed on whether they deliberately targeted younger players with experience in Europe's major leagues, the Spaniard added: "Yes, different experiences, some had experience in the league, some abroad, and some have been coached in other ways.
“But they are players we have followed for a long time that we knew could fit in the model we are trying to implement at the club. So we are pleased."
