Arsenal could earn £145m from the world champions

Last week ArsenalThe chances of winning the Carabao Cup were significantly reduced Alexander Isak.

That shouldn’t really surprise anyone. The Swede is one of the best goalscorers in Europe ten goals in the last nine matches in all competitions.

Gunners have regularly associated with his services and he showed Mikel Arteta and Co exactly what they were missing by scoring at the Emirates. Arteta even admitted after the game that it showed what can happen when you have the “right quality” at the top the field.

So the club’s head coach is well aware that the forward line is something to be commended, but you get the feeling he’ll be hoping to get by with what they already have.

The problem is that their best player in Bukayo Saka will be out for some time with a hamstring injury and his replacement, Ethan Nwaneri, is now also injured. It’s all pretty typical.

Arsenal’s shortlist for 2025 transfers

As you would expect at this time of year, there have been plenty of rumors surrounding who could enter the Emirates Stadium this year.

The most prominent name is Isak, but with Newcastle reportedly demanding a fee of something close to £150mit’s not an easy deal.

Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams has been praised during the last two transfer windows.

He only moved during the summer if dream club Barcelona invited him, and this January the Gunners may have to make him one of their biggest earners to lure him away from Spain. So said, Arteta ‘want to sign’ player this month.

This January is already about taking advantage of market opportunities, and two of them will pass. However, it is not known if there was any interest.

A red-hot Frankfurt striker indeed Omar Marmoush is close to a move to Manchester City while Napoli is a Georgian superstar winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia looks like he is on his way to PSG.

So where else could they turn in 2025?

Arsenal’s best alternative to Nic Williams

Reports before Christmas suggested that Arsenal have approached the representatives of AC Milan sensation Rafael Lea regarding a possible move.

No formal offer has been made, but it has been made clear that it is far more likely that Leao will move in the summer.

To brag about the almighty £145m release clausea move could be cheaper and more attainable because of his volatile relationship with new head coach Paul Fonseca.

Arsenal fans might be saddened to hear another move is being played down as a potential summer opportunity, but the fact is that signing new players in January is difficult.

The Gunners will lose a lot of time in the latter part of this season, but it is clear that they are ready to attack the summer window fiercely.

Having lured Leao away from San Siro, he could be a better addition than both Isak and Williams.

Fans will, of course, look at Isak’s numbers and wonder why he isn’t the best signing. You can certainly argue that he should be priority number one. He is proven in the Premier League and can’t stop scoring.

However, Arsenal have shown they can challenge and score plenty of goals with Kai Havertz in the team. In 2023/24. he scored eight goals and assisted seven in only 18 outings. Even this mandate has eight out of 21, which is not a bad result at all.

Of course, the Gunners need more goals, but they may lack more quality in wider areas. Saka is the only consistent player in this regard alongside Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard he gave a total of ten goals and five assists. For context, that’s seven short of Saka’s total.

According to this evidence, Arsenal need an explosive winger and Leao – “winner of the world” according to data analyst Ben Mattinson, they would have the perfect profile.

Further described as a player who is like “an early Thierry Henry,” according to Milan coach Stefano Piolicutting inside from the left and beating defenders for fun, his output is certainly better than Williams. Here’s how the two compare based on their numbers in 2023/24. and 2024/25.

As we can see, the two are quite similar players. They like to carry the ball and take on players and both like to create.

Additionally, it is Leao who scores more regularly, it is the Milan star who takes on players more effectively and it is the Portuguese sensation who makes more key passes and progressive passes. All of which suggests he could be just what the doctor ordered when it comes to improving Arsenal’s attacking output on the left side of the pitch.

In the Premier League this term, they are the team that attacks the left side the least often, but signing a player like Leao would balance the squad and provide more high percentage goalscoring opportunities for the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Havertz.

Maybe he is the solution instead of Isak and Williams in the summer.