Arsenal might need a striker. Where do we go from here?

Here are 12 ideas for potential stopgap signings

NOTE: I was about 85% done with this thing and David Ornstein blew up my entire spot. Consider this fan fiction that I worked too hard on to delete at this point, because I do believe that an Eberechi Eze signing would probably preclude an additional striker joining the club. But hey, if not, this list stands!

What a terrible day to wake up and log in to social media.

As a lot of us were getting ready for work — or some Cannon Stats readers were likely wrapping up their lunch breaks — news broke via David Ornstein that Kai Havertz is facing a “spell on the sidelines with a knee injury.”

As I type, we have next to no clarity on what that means in terms of a prognosis for Havertz, but Ornstein’s suggestion that Arsenal have turned to the transfer market to potentially bolster the attack while they await Havertz’s return is, in all likelihood, a sign that they’re not expecting good news.

Somehow, this is both a terrible, horrible spot to be in, and a weirdly good spot to be in. Havertz’s emergence at striker has always been debatable among the Arsenal fanbase, and it was clear from summer 2024 that the club hierarchy has always felt that at least one other serious player was needed in that position. The right deal didn’t come along that window or in January 2025, but this summer the club finally signed Viktor Gyökeres. That is incredibly fortuitous in the sense that Arsenal made about as good a move as they could have to protect against a potential long-term Havertz injury already.

The bad part, aside from the obvious potential “important player out long time” angle, is that Havertz and Gyökeres have been stacked atop an already-injured Gabriel Jesus, giving Arsenal an incredibly expensive (and pretty old, relatively speaking) group of centre forwards. It’s reasonable to wonder what the club’s appetite or ability to absorb another player at anywhere near a starting striker cost would be at this point.

That could mean that any reinforcement comes via the flanks, but with a wide attacking group that already includes Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke and the emerging Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman, Arsenal could also be reluctant to add too much fat there as well.

It’s tough to look into a crystal ball with too much accuracy, but here’s my best shot to gauge the market and present you with some actual, (I think) realistic options, in no particular order.

Side note: In the interest of getting this out today, I’m going to forego radars. Please don’t hate me. Mea culpa.