Arsenal is demonstrating match after match that its previous season’s triumphs were no accident, as Mikel Arteta’s team has won nine of its ten Premier League games.
Although dominating the group for the duration of the season, the Spaniard guided his youthful team to a close match against Manchester City, the triple winners, last season, and they lost by five points to miss out on their first league title since 2004.
As club veteran Tony Adams pointed out, the Gunners’ inability to win the title was largely down to their inferior squad depth against City, as important players sustained injuries and their replacements were unable to cover the gaps.
In order to be ready for the 2023–24 season, Arteta partially resolved these problems during the summer transfer window by bringing in four new players, the most famous of which being Declan Rice, who cost the club a record £105 million.
Although Rice and the other new arrivals have adapted to life in north London, there have been rumours that the Gunners may be looking to recruit more players during the January transfer window, with a strong striker being mentioned as a possible target.
January transfer targets for Arsenal
Arsenal has been connected to various noteworthy strikers in the media ahead of the forthcoming transfer window, from Eddie Nketiah’s lack of confidence in front of goal—he has just two league goals this season—to Gabriel Jesus’ continuous injury troubles.
Vlahovic, Dusan, Juventus, Premier League
The Italian media has been speculating that the Gunners are interested in Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic. They say they plan to make a January move for the 23-year-old, who has a lot of talent.
Nearer to home, banned Brentford striker Ivan Toney is a regular visitor to the Emirates. Sources anticipate that Arsenal will be interested in his Premier League-approved services once his football ban for betting violations expires in January.
Although both players are well-known for their ability to score goals in Europe, the Gunners are reportedly interested in a different player, a 22-year-old striker named Santiago Gimenez of Feyenoord.
According to news from Spain, as reported by The Hard Tackle, Premier League teams Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham are all eager to recruit the Mexican shooter, in addition to Atletico Madrid.
Gimenez, a six-foot-tall striker, is a muscular presence that might enhance Arteta’s choices in the future. Should the north Londoners compete for his signing, Gimenez would be the perfect match.
The record Santiago Gimenez has at Feyenoord is exceptional.
Gimenez has flourished since moving to the Netherlands last summer, when he joined the Dutch team from his childhood club, Cruz Azul.
The young player showed promise in front of goal the season before he left his old club in Mexico, scoring nine goals in 43 games, but it was nothing compared to the totals he’s really scored at Feyenoord since.
In 50 games for Cruz Azul and Feyenoord during the 2022–2023 season, Gimenez scored 28 goals, demonstrating his potential for prolificacy if given the chance to succeed in Europe.
His performance in his first season with the Dutch team served as a prelude to the heights he is presently reaching this season, as he leads all European scorers with an incredible 15 goals in 11 games across all competitions.
The Mexico international has improved his game in the Eredivisie by scoring 13 goals in only nine games and dishing out three assists, which is equal to his tally for the whole previous campaign.
The 22-year-old has set a very high standard for other clubs to try to pursue him in Europe, so it’s easy to understand why Arsenal—as well as any other club—would be pleased to sign him.
The market value of Santiago Gimenez is increasing.
Good form brings notoriety, and recognition brings the possibility of financial gain for his present team.
According to the Spanish source that connects Arsenal with the forward, Feyenoord presently values its lucky striker at €40 million (£35 million), a sum that is expected to increase if his form continues into the winter.
Football Transfers has shown that the Mexican’s real expected transfer value (xTV) is actually much lower, but the most intriguing thing to note is the forward’s xTV’s steady ascent, as seen in the graph below.
Feyenoord struck gold when they signed Gimenez for about €6 million (£5 million). Considering his xTV at the time, which was just €3.9 million (£) in July of 2022, this was a little overpayment.
His xTV first became noticeable in October 2022 when it reached €7.1 million (£). A year later, it skyrocketed to €17.5 million (£), indicating a jump of more than €10 million to go along with his incredible scoring record in Europe.
Arsenal might benefit much from Santiago Gimenez.
The Arsenal might accelerate their chances of winning big awards if they invest in a proven goal scorer, which would completely alter Arteta’s prospects for his team.
As seen by Manchester City’s treble victory last season, Pep Guardiola had to wait to lift the Champions League trophy as Cityzens’ manager, but one acquisition drastically altered everything.
Giménez-Santiago, Feyenoord, Premier League
Erling Haaland’s arrival to Manchester United last summer proved to be the crucial missing component in Guardiola’s puzzle at the Etihad, as the Norwegian scored an incredible 52 goals in 53 games in his rookie season.
By acquiring a forward with Gimenez’s level of production—the forward has actually outscored Haaland by four goals in the 2023–24 campaign, with the Norwegian scoring 11 goals in total—Arteta may emulate the success he enjoyed at his previous company.
U23 scout Antonio Mango lauded the Mexican player for his “insane” scoring record over the last 15 months, but at 22, he still has potential to grow as a player.
The current attackers for Arsenal versus. Santiago Gimenez in the 2023–2024 league seasons
Miguel Gimenez
Abel Nketiah
Jesus Gabriel
Applications
9.
9.
7.
Aims
Thirteen
2.
1.
Supports
3.
Zero
Zero
% of goals converted
34 %
Ten Percent
Ten Percent
shots on goal for each game
2.2.2
0.4%
0.4%
each game’s key passes
4.4%
0.6%
0.6%
Through Sofascore
Jesus’ arrival last season significantly improved the front line’s energy and quality, but the Brazilian lacks a clinical instinct as evidenced by the fact that he has never scored 15 goals in the Premier League in his English career and that Nketiah has never scored more than five goals in the top flight in a single season.
Gimenez, a striker who performs considerably better than those now at the club, may significantly increase Arteta’s choices, as seen in the above chart. This deal might propel the Gunners closer to their goal of winning their first Premier League championship in over 20 years.
