A dreaded sense of deja vu reared its ugly head for Arsenal supporters on Wednesday, when the news emerged that Kai Havertz had suffered a knee injuryand would be set for a spell on the sidelines.
The length of the German's absence remains unclear - he has seemingly only just suffered his fresh issue - but his latest blow comes after his three-month absence with a hamstring problem last season, which Arsenal did not directly respond to in the transfer market.
However, having learned from their winter mistakes, the Premier League runners-up are now expected to pursue a new option up front before the summer transfer window closes, although some of Mikel Arteta's prime targets are no longer attainable.
Alexander Isak only wants Liverpool and would be unaffordable anyway, Eberechi Eze is bound for Tottenham Hotspur, and Aston Villa are in no position to let Ollie Watkins depart either.
Some exciting market opportunities could nevertheless arise, though, and here, Sports Mole looks at 10 attackers that Arsenal could potentially go after in the wake of Havertz's injury.
Brentford's Yoane Wissa pictured on February 21, 2025
Let us get this one out of the way early for the sake of Newcastle United supporters.
There is currently no indication that Arsenal are looking at Brentford's Yoane Wissa as a potential option, but in staying true to the theme of market opportunities, the Gunners could do worse than explore the possibility of a deal while the Magpies have not yet reached an agreement.
With a year left on his contract and no reconciliation in sight, Wissa's exit from Brentford - whom he scored 19 goals for in the 2024-25 Premier League season - is increasingly inevitable, and his priority has always been St James' Park.
However, Arsenal can also offer the DR Congo international the chance to play Champions League football and remain in London, so it is not impossible to envisage him having his head turned if Arteta's side embark on a hijack mission.
Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic on December 7, 2024
Flash back to early 2022, where Dusan Vlahovic to Arsenal was one of the top stories - if not the top story - of the winter transfer window, but the feeling now is that the Serbian's agents were using the Gunners' name to negotiate the best possible deal with Juventus.
Three-and-a-half-years down the line, and Vlahovic's time in Turin appears to be nearing its natural conclusion; he is also due to become a free agent in 2026, and the Old Lady are working to sign Randal Kolo Muani on a permanent deal from Paris Saint-Germain.
There has even been talk of Juventus potentially terminating Vlahovic's contract, offering Arsenal the chance to sign the man who formerly cost £72.2m on a free transfer, but he would command extortionate wages and only scored 10 goals in 29 Serie A appearances last season.
Rodrygo on July 9, 2025
Admittedly not a player in the Havertz mould, but still the dream signing for many a Gooner in the last knockings of the transfer window, and one who would offer a new dimension to the Arsenal attack no matter where he is deployed.
Real Madrid's Rodrygo possesses the versatility that Arteta loves - all of him, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli could alternate between wide and central roles - and the 24-year-old was left on the bench for Los Blancos' opening La Liga victory over Osasuna on Tuesday night.
Big money and big wages would be required to sign the former Santos starlet, so it may still take an exit or two - alongside Havertz's injury - to facilitate such a high-profile arrival, but watch this space.
Paris Saint-Germain's Goncalo Ramos pictured on April 19, 2025
While Ousmane Dembele unexpectedly propelled himself into Ballon d'Or contention as Paris Saint-Germain's central striker last season, Goncalo Ramos was something of a forgotten man, starting just one match in the Champions League and 12 in Ligue 1.
The Portugal international nevertheless came up with a respectable 19 goals and six assists in all competitions and did start their win over Nantes in the opening weekend of the 2025-26 Ligue 1 season, but Dembele will no doubt come back into the XI when fully fit.
As a result, Ramos and his agents may pursue opportunities elsewhere and could offer the striker's services to Arsenal, but as his contract runs for another three years and Kolo Muani is on the verge of leaving, PSG will likely put up a strong fight.
Portugal's Rafael Leao pictured in June 2025
Perpetually linked with a Premier League move only to remain in the red and black, AC Milan wing wizard Rafael Leao is something of a wild card option for the North London giants.
As far as exciting left-sided options go, there are few that stand out more than the Portugal international, who has managed at least eight goals and 10 assists in each of his previous four Serie A campaigns and is no stranger to playing centrally either.
However, Leao coincidentally suffered a calf problem during Milan's recent Coppa Italia win over Bari; not one that is expected to rule him out for some time, but one that may scupper any possible transfer while he focuses on his rehabilitation.
Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson pictured on July 13, 2025
As unpredictable as the transfer market can sometimes be, one guarantee is Arsenal poaching at least one player from Chelsea's ranks; the man pictured above could potentially be the third this year after Noni Madueke and Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Nicolas Jackson boasts plentiful Premier League experience - 24 goals over the past two seasons - is confirmed to be available for transfer by Enzo Maresca and would keep Viktor Gyokeres on his toes while the Swede adapts to the unforgiving nature of the Premier League.
TEAMtalkclaims that Arsenal are indeed running the rule over the Senegal striker, but he would come with a £60m price tag, and his prospective arrival would almost certainly trigger similar reactions to the Madueke deal - maybe Aston Villa or Newcastle United would be a more preferable destination.
Fiorentina's Moise Kean celebrates scoring on February 6, 2025
One of those players who has seemingly been around for an incredibly long time but has arguably not even hit his prime, 25-year-old Moise Kean belatedly came into his own during the 2024-25 season with Fiorentina, finding the back of the net 25 times in all tournaments for La Viola.
The less said about Kean's failed first Premier League spell with Everton the better, but links with England's top flight have begun to re-emerge thanks to his rise to stardom in his homeland; Manchester United were reported to have been interested before signing Benjamin Sesko.
However, a reported £45m clause in his contract was only valid for the first two weeks of July, and in spite of his recent success in Serie A, he would also fall into the category of underwhelming signings at the Emirates Stadium.
Atalanta BC winger Ademola Lookman in February 2025.
Before Isak publicly slammed Newcastle for alleged broken promises, Ademola Lookman released a bombshell statementaccusing Atalanta BC of the same indiscretions, claiming that the Italian giants unfairly blocked him from joining Inter Milan earlier this summer.
Two weeks down the line, there is still no resolution in sight, as Inter are yet to stump up a bid that Atalanta deem satisfactory and Lookman has not backtracked on his comments, so is training alone - according to a report from Tribal Football.
While Inter drag their heels, a reasonable offer from Arsenal would almost certainly be well-received by both Atalanta and Lookman, whose statistics offer cause for excitement - in Serie A alone, he has averaged over 5.5 progressive carries and shot-creating actions per game over the past year.
Ferran Torres
Barcelona attacker Ferran Torres on March 27, 2025
Ferran Torres and Arteta never worked together at Manchester City - the latter left for Arsenal several months before his compatriot's arrival at the Etihad - but a union between the two Spaniards has often been mooted over the past few years.
The Gunners allegedly failed with a last-ditch attempt to sign Torres in the summer of 2022, but he has now entered the final two years of his contract with the La Liga champions and has never been able to establish himself as their number one striker, thanks to the presence of Robert Lewandowski.
Torres benefitted from the Pole's recent hamstring injury to start and score in the recent 3-0 win over Mallorca, but Lewandowski is now back in training and ready to demote the Spaniard to the bench, so a sale should not be completely off the cards given his standing in the squad, his contract situation and Barcelona's well-documented financial and registration issues.
Paris Saint-Germain's Bradley Barcola pictured on July 9, 2025
As Dembele flourished in the central striker's role for PSG last season, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola were often left to battle for two spots either side of the free-scoring Frenchman, a three-way tussle that Barcola lost more frequently as the season went on.
The former Lyon winger was a substitute in three of PSG's final five UCL games - including the 5-0 final thumping of Inter Milan - and while he lined up from the first whistle against Nantes at the weekend, it was as part of a second-string attack with Ramos and Ibrahim Mbaye.
Liverpool's reported interest in Barcola is not expected to go anywhere owing to their pursuit of Isak, and as the 22-year-old is also no stranger to doing a job up front as well as on the left-hand side, he ought to fit the Arsenal bill.
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