Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra
Arsenal have enjoyed a picture-perfect start to their 2026/27 season so far as they look to make history by retaining the Premier League title for the first time in their history.
The Gunners have won all four of their league games so far this season, defeating Coventry, Aston Villa, Chelsea, and Sunderland, while they also defeated Napoli in their first Champions League game of the campaign, and progressed to the EFL Cup fourth round with a win over Ipswich on Tuesday night.
But despite the successes so far, it's evident that the north London club are still missing the attacking depth that they have had previously after a disappointing summer of pursuits in that area ended with them being empty-handed.
Christos Tzolis has started the season well since joining from Club Brugge, while Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard have also rediscovered their best form. That has seen Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, and Max Dowman have to wait for opportunities in the first-team.
Kai Havertz has also wrestled the starting striker role from Viktor Gyokeres, but the team is still short in the forward areas, and an injury or two could leave the manager with some big problems.
It's clearly something they were aware of during the window too, having tried hard to bring in Morgan Rogers, Vinicius Jr, and Julian Alvarez at different points. They also made a late check on Real Madrid star Endrick, but were met with a firm rejection by the Spanish giants, who had handed him the number 9 shirt for the season.
But so far this season, the Brazilian has featured for just four minutes under Jose Mourinho, and he will be chomping at the bit to prove himself as a player who can shine at the very highest level.
Endrick struggled massively for game time last season under Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa, before joining Lyon on loan for the second half of the campaign. But in France, he became a key player and scored eight goals and registered eight assists in 21 appearances.
That earned him a spot in the Brazil squad at the World Cup too, and was expected to earn him an opportunity at the Bernabeu. But Mourinho has opted to go with Kylian Mbappe as his first-choice number nine, with new signing Carlos Espi providing the cover from the bench.
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Endrick (Ligue 1 2025-26)
Appearances (Starts)
Minutes Played
Goals Scored
Assists
Goal Contributions (G+A)
Expected Goals (xG)
Shots Taken
Shots On Target
Key Passes
Successful Dribbles
Endrick The Perfect Arsenal Forward
REUTERS/Mike Segar
Despite their good start, Arsenal know they need solutions in January to ensure they are not left short in attack this season, and a move for Endrick could be a perfect opportunity for everyone involved.
Madrid are unlikely to want to sell him permanently, and Arsenal are likely to want to go for a top target in the summer again. But a short-term loan could solve everyone's problems and give the Gunners that extra edge to get over the line in the big moments of the season.
With Mourinho clearly not believing in Endrick, despite his words in public, he will be highly motivated to prove the iconic Portuguese boss wrong by going elsewhere and shining once again. Arsenal would benefit from it, and so would everyone else involved. It's a win-win, and something they should be closely monitoring between now and January.