Mikel Arteta has decisions to make. (Image: Getty)
It’s the news that would have been dreading. Having taken his squad for a training trip to Dubai last week, the Spanish boss would have been hopeful of his squad returning refreshed and rejuvenated as they bid to haul down in the title race.
Instead, Arteta has been hit by another hammer injury blow with with a hamstring injury. With , Gabriel Jesus, and Gabriel Martinelli already sidelined, ’s forward options now look threadbare to say the least.
The situation could prompt the club to look at free agents, with the transfer window now firmly closed until the summer. Express Sport looks at four viable striker options for the Gunners…
Wissam Ben Yedder
At 34, Yedder’s best days are undoubtedly behind him, but a total of 20 goals in all competitions last season before being released by Monaco implies his finishing prowess remains. He had become an icon at the Ligue 1 club, scoring 118 times in 201 appearances.
Ben Yedder would also bring top-level experience, having also played for Sevilla in and won 19 caps for France. However, in November, he was given a two-year suspended sentence after being found guilty of drink-driving, sexual assault, and refusing to cooperate with authorities.
From a footballing perspective, he appears an ideal quick-fix. But the negative publicity his signing would attract, not to mention the potential erosion to the club’s reputation, surely wouldn’t be worth the risk.
Wissam Ben Yedder remains without a club (Image: Getty)
Carlos Vela
fans, remember him? The 72-cap international came through the ranks at the Emirates from 2005 through to 2012, playing 64 times for the club amid a string of loan moves elsewhere.
He’s now a free agent after seven years in the MLS with Los Angeles FC, where he scored 93 times in just 188 matches. Having previously cemented iconic status with Real Sociedad, the 35-year-old could return to the and, if nothing else, provide backup for Arteta.
Lucas Perez
Another former man, scoring seven times in 21 games during the 2016/17 campaign. His journeyman career also took him to for the 2018/19 campaign, where he netted six times.
Carlos Vela previously played for Arsenal under Arsene Wenger. (Image: Getty)
Most recently in the Spanish third tier with Deportivo, Perez is now looking for a new club at 36. He would represent a desperate measure, but then again, what do desperate times call for?
Diego Costa
A proven goalscorer with experience of firing a team to the Premier League? Look no further than the man released by Brazilian club Gremio last year. And despite being 36, you can guarantee physicality and commitment from the man who scored 59 times in 120 games for .
But a later stint with suggested Costa’s days in England’s top flight are behind him. Would only prove useful as an option in the dying seconds, with a goal down and having resorted to pumping balls into the opposition box.