last week arsenalChances of winning Carabao Cup severely dented Alexander Isaac.

This should surprise no one. The Swede is one of the most in-form players in Europe Ten goals scored in the last nine games in all competitions.

The Gunners have Often associated with his services He showed Mikel Arteta and his team-mates what they were missing when it came to scoring goals at the Emirates Stadium. Arteta even admitted after the game that it was indicative of what could happen When you have “real quality” at the high end Of the stadium.

So, the club’s manager is well aware that the forward line has something to boast about, but you do get the sense they want to use what they already have to get by.

The trouble is that their best player, Bukayo Saka, will be out for some time with a hamstring injury, while his deputy, Ethan Nwaneri, is also now injured. This is all fairly typical.

Arsenal transfer shortlist for 2025

As you would expect at this time of year, there are a lot of rumors surrounding who could make it to the Emirates Stadium this year.

Best known as Isaac but from Newcastle Reported demand for nearly £150m in feesthis is not an easy task.

Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams has been sought after over the past two transfer windows.

Over the summer, he would only move if dream club Barcelona came calling, and this January the Gunners may have to make him one of their highest-earning players to get him out of Spain. Having said that, Arteta “Want to sign” this player this month.

This January is the time to seize market opportunities, but two of them will be missed. But whether there is interest is unknown.

Indeed, the hot Frankfurt striker Omar Marmouche set to move to Manchester City And Napoli’s Georgian superstar winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia looks to be on his way to Paris Saint-Germain.

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So where else can they turn in 2025?

Arsenal’s best Nico Williams replacement

Reports before Christmas suggested Arsenal have made contact with representatives of AC Milan star Rafael Leao About possible moves.

Although a formal offer has not yet been made, it has been made clear that a move for Leo in the summer is more likely.

Possess almighty £145m escape clauseA move could be cheaper and easier to achieve due to his rocky relationship with new manager Paulo Fonseca.

Arsenal supporters may be sad to hear another transfer has been downplayed as a potential summer opportunity, but the reality is that signing new players in January is difficult.

The Gunners will suffer heavy losses late in the season, but it’s clear they will be on the offensive in the summer transfer window.

By luring Leo away from the San Siro, he could very well become a better complement than Isaac and Williams.

Of course, supporters will look at Isaac’s numbers and wonder why he wasn’t the best signing. You can certainly make the case that he should be the first priority. He has proven himself in the Premier League and can’t stop scoring goals.

That said, Arsenal have proven that, with Kai Havertz at the helm, they can challenge and score a lot of goals. 2023/24, He scored eight goals and provided seven assists In just 18 games. Even if he makes 8 of 21 shots this semester, that’s not bad.

Of course, the Gunners need more goals, but they may lack more quality out wide. Saka is the only consistent player in this area, with Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard both Contributed a total of 10 goals and 5 assists. For context, that’s seven fewer than Saka’s total.

On this evidence, Arsenal need an explosive winger and Leo – “World class” In the words of data analyst Ben Martinson, they will have the perfect image.

Further described as aa player who resembles In the words of Milan coach Stefano Pioli, “an early Thierry Henry”cutting in from the left and enjoying playing defense, his output is definitely better than Williams. Here’s how the two compare based on 2023/24 and 2024/25 data.

As we can see, the two are very similar players. They love to take the ball and lead players forward, and they both love to create.

That being said, Leao is the more consistent scorer, with the Milan star able to lead his players more effectively, while the Portugal star is able to make more key passes and progressive passes. It all goes to show that he might be just what the doctor ordered to improve Arsenal’s attacking output on the left side of the pitch.

They are the team that attacks the least from the left in the Premier League this season, but signing a player like Leo can balance the team and provide more high-percentage scoring opportunities for the likes of Jesus and Havertz.

Maybe he is the answer to the summer, not Isaac and Williams.

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