Arsenal have now entered the race to sign a striker who has been in red-hot form this season, as their search for a Julian Alvarez alternative continues.
Mikel Arteta was ultimately unable to make a statement signing at centre-forward in the summer transfer window, with Alvarez remaining at Atletico Madrid, but strengthening in attack remains on the agenda, with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland now among the targets.
Indeed, after Man City were found guilty of the vast majority of the serious charges for breaching the Premier League‘s financial rules, the Gunners have entered contention to sign Haaland, and shock discussions are said to have taken place with his representatives.
Of course, it is difficult to envisage the Norwegian moving to the Emirates Stadium, given the rivalry that his developed with his current club in recent years, but if the opportunity arises, securing his signature would be a no-brainer.
|
Erling Haaland’s goalscoring statistics |
Premier League appearances |
Goals |
|
2022-23 |
35 |
36 |
|
2023-24 |
31 |
27 |
|
2024-25 |
31 |
22 |
|
2025-26 |
35 |
27 |
|
2026-27 |
5 |
5 |
Moreover, Paul Merson has questioned whether Arteta’s side are capable of going all the way in the Champions League without making a major addition at centre-forward, saying: “I’m a big fan of Kai Havertz. He does a lot of work and he’s what I call a good footballer. He works hard and makes the right decisions. I just think he’s not going to score 20 goals in a season. To take them to the Premier League title, there’s no doubt about it, he’s a top-drawer player.”
However, Haaland isn’t the only striker in the north Londoners’ sights, with another former Bundesliga star recently emerging as a potential signing.
Arsenal enter contention to sign Igor Matanovic
According to a report from Football Insider, Arsenal have now entered the race to sign SC Freiburg striker Igor Matanovic, who has also been attracting interest from Manchester United and Chelsea.
However, the three Premier League sides will seemingly find it very difficult to get a deal done this January, as Freiburg have no interest in sanctioning a winter sale, which means a deal may be more likely in the summer transfer window.
It is no surprise the Bundesliga outfit are determined to keep hold of the 23-year-old, given that he has made a flying start to the campaign, picking up six goals and two assists in seven matches across all competitions.
Valued at around £50m according to prior reports, he has been lauded for his “fantastic physical prowess” by scout Jacek Kulig. The six-foot-four titan was also one of Freiburg’s most important players in the Bundesliga last season, averaging 0.63 goals per 90, which was the highest number in the squad.
That said, while the 15-cap Croatia international has impressed domestically, he is yet to play a match in the Champions League, so it is unclear whether he would be a suitable signing to take Arsenal to the next level, and Haaland should evidently be their top target.