Arsenal could look to pursue a left-field transfer option to help fix their goalscoring problems in attack with a player who upset a former Emirates Stadium fan favourite. The Gunners are looking to add firepower to their attack, having finished second in the Premier League table three seasons in a row.
It’s a criticism that has been thrown at Mikel Arteta’s side for some time, with the north Londoners having done little to address the issue in recent transfer windows. Kai Havertz was the last permanent attacking deal Arsenal completed back in the summer of 2023, with Arteta and co. opting out of signing a striker in both transfer windows last season.
They could look to address that with a move for ex-Premier League ace Ademola Lookman, who has impressed for Atalanta since joining the Serie A outfit in 2022. Across 118 matches for Atalanta, Lookman has an eye-catching 52 goals, while registering a further 25 assists during that time.
An impressive 20 of those goals came across the most recent campaign, where Lookman impressed for Atalanta, as they finished third in the Italian top-flight. The former Everton star picked up from where he left off in the final match of last season, when he netted a hat-trick to break the heart of former Arsenal man Granit Xhaka whom he denied an undefeated treble in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen.
At 27 years old, Lookman has his prime years ahead of him and former Arsenal legend Ian Wright has even urged the Gunners’ hierarchy to push for his signing. Speaking on the Wrighty’s House podcast, he explained: "I remember him from Charlton, it didn’t work out [the] £10million [move] to Everton, then moving all over the place, the journey from loan to this, then I think that’s one of the most devastating performances I’ve seen in any final with that hat-trick he scored.
"You know, it’s just… I can’t help but look at his dark moment where it would have been dark for him. You know, especially all those loans going to another country… I hope we can buy him, Arsenal. I would love someone like him to come back to the Premier League and say, ‘listen, I have unfinished business here so I am going to help Arsenal win the league.’”
Lookman could represent an attractive option for Arsenal, especially at a price point rumoured to be around the £50m mark, as per The Sun. Arsenal could face competition though, with Liverpool also said to be monitoring the situation.