Arsenal could sign free-agent striker now to ease crisis – here is who they may target

Arsenal could sign free-agent striker now to ease crisis – here is who they may target

Manager Mikel Arteta is currently without Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli

Former Chelsea and Wolves striker Diego Costa is a free agent — but would Arsenal go for

Mikel Arteta has not ruled out the possibility of Arsenal making a move to sign a free agent in an attempt to solve their striker injury problem.

Arsenal are currently without Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, leaving them with only three fit first-team forwards for the next month at least.

Arsenal can add to their squad outside the transfer window by signing a free agent and, asked directly about their ability to add a new player, Arteta said the club will “explore” the possibilities.

Club sources regard the addition of a free agent to be unlikely, especially given Arsenal’s insistence in January of only recruiting players who can have a serious impact on the team.

Arteta’s comments, however, mean that the possibility cannot yet be ruled out. “We will explore every possible situation and make a decision from there,” said the Arsenal manager.

Havertz suffered a torn hamstring on the club’s training camp in Dubai, with Arteta revealing on Friday that the German was stretching his leg while trying to stop a shot after a set piece.

Kai Havertz (right) tore his hamstring on Arsenal’s training camp in Dubai

“We were having a great camp in Dubai – recharging, training, having some time off and connecting again with nature in a different environment, and then the injury happened in a very unexpected way,” Arteta said.

The Arsenal manager added that such injuries are an “accident waiting to happen” given the amount of matches that elite footballers must play in the modern schedule.

“We have players who have been injured and who have played 130 games in the last two seasons, so in the end it’s an accident waiting to happen if you continue to load and load,” said Arteta.

“Is it this season, is it the accumulation of that, is it the stress of that, is it luck, is it preparation, is it methodology? There are a lot of factors, and it’s very difficult to point at something, but the schedule is super demanding and for certain players, especially explosive players, it becomes a real issue.

“The intensity is going to a different level and the demands that we put in, in terms of the amount of minutes. In this competitive environment, it’s higher and higher so it’s just a consequence of that.

“You look at all the graphics and the injuries that have happened in the last two seasons, especially this season, and long-term injuries, especially muscle and tendon involvements, it’s higher than ever. There is a relationship and given the data sample is small, I think it’s very clear.”

Arteta said the main problem is that players are unable to properly “train” their muscles because of the short turnaround between matches. He said tendons need 72 hours to recover, which means there is no time for strengthening when matches are played every three days. Arsenal played nine matches in January.

Arteta, who takes his side to Leicester City on Saturday, insisted that he “loves” the challenge presented by the injuries to Havertz and Martinelli.

“Certainly it is a big blow because of the injuries that we have but fortunately, we’ve been through a lot this season. We have played without Gabriel, without Saliba, Ben White all season, Tomiyasu all season, Calafiori for two months, Merino for two months, Martin Odegaard for two months, Bukayo Saka for three months, Gabriel Jesus… all of them.

“So that’s it, that’s the challenge ahead. I love it and look forward because we are still where we are with all the things I mentioned on top of playing four times with 10 men, blah blah blah. Let’s see what the team is made of.”

Five forwards who are currently free agents

Mariano Díaz

Former Real Madrid forward Diaz scored 21 goals for Lyon in 2017/18, earning a move back to the Spanish capital. Last season, he played for Sevilla – but failed to score a single goal.

Diego Costa

Could the 36-year-old come back for one last dance in the Premier League? It seems unlikely. His stint at Wolves in the 2022/23 campaign was not successful.

Wissam Ben Yedder

A former France international, Ben Yedder scored 20 goals for Monaco last season. In November he received a suspended sentence of two years after going on trial in France for sexually assaulting a woman.

Carlos Vela

A former Arsenal player, Vela has enjoyed a successful career and made 72 appearances for Mexico. He is now 35, though, and has been playing in the United States since 2018.

Lucas Pérez

Another former Arsenal player who is currently without a club. He struggled in north London after joining in 2016 and his last two full seasons have been spent in the third tier after taking a huge pay cut to join his boyhood club, Deportivo de La Coruña, for a fourth spell.