Arsenal Scouting Report 2025/2026: 5 Strikers Who Fit Mikel Arteta Tactics – Recruitment Analysis

Many Arsenal fans will want to retain a sense of optimism as the 2024/25 Premier League season draws to a close.

However, even the most ardent of them will know that the weekend’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United has severely dented and likely ended their hopes of lifting the top-flight trophy for another campaign.

It was a result that left them 15 points behind leaders Liverpool and now looking over their shoulders at the chasing pack, with Nottingham Forest four points behind them and Chelsea only a further two back.

Once again, the biggest blow to those title aspirations has been their inability to sign a proven striker.

They are constantly linked with players who could fit that role but never seem to prioritise that position once the transfer window does open.

As a result, they have been left with only Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz as their striker options at this moment, and both are currently on the sidelines.

Whilst manager Mikel Arteta has, to his credit, tried to find a solution, using first Leandro Trossard and then Mikel Merino as the target player and then alternating Declan Rice and Merino in an advanced role at Old Trafford, none of those has had the desired effect.

Arsenal have dropped points in each of their last three league matches, and there is now increased pressure and expectation that the club will target a new goalscorer when the summer transfer window opens.

Fans are anxious to avoid being in this situation again.

With that in mind, it perhaps comes as no surprise that they have been linked with a host of potential targets, each of whom would bring different things to their play.

This data analysis and recruitment analysis will sift through some of them and examine which option would be the best, breaking down each player’s key statistics and explaining how they could fit into Arteta’s tactics.

The analysis will suggest alternative options the club could consider if the initial suggestions are rejected.

Arsenal Current Attacking Options

Before getting into that, though, it is important first to break down the data of those currently on Arsenal’s books.

When analysing the games of both Jesus and Havertz, there is no doubt that both are capable of delivering goals when on top form and can cause problems for opposing backlines, as has been proven on many occasions.

However, for various reasons, they do not appear to be long-term options in the striker role at the Emirates Stadium.

Gabriel Jesus Statistics 2024/2025

In Jesus’ case, he is undoubtedly a natural striker who likes to make runs into advanced areas of the pitch, with his aim always to get into areas where he can affect the game.

Given this, it comes as no surprise that he ranks so highly in the percentile bands for touches in the opposing penalty area per game.