caughtoffside
·20 January 2025
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·20 January 2025
Arsenal are reportedly assessing their options up front in this January’s transfer window, with a new surprise name among their three main targets.
As well as familiar faces like Benjamin Sesko and Evan Ferguson, there’s also mention from transfer journalist Ben Jacobs of the Gunners looking at Botafogo striker Igor Jesus.
The 23-year-old is not a particularly big name, and he’s yet to test himself at a particularly high level in his career so far.
Still, it seems Arsenal are eyeing him up as a potential option to give them more depth up front after injuries to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus.
See below for Jacobs’ post on X about Arsenal’s striker targets…
Arsenal assessing striker options for January. Strong interest in Benjamin Sesko but likely a summer saga. Evan Ferguson of interest if Brighton sanction an exit but Arsenal have to buy or send Neto back. Raheem Sterling’s loan does not have a January break clause. Botafogo’s… pic.twitter.com/6KEZXhDTPx — Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) January 20, 2025
Jesus probably isn’t an absolute top priority for Arsenal, as one imagines Sesko would be the ideal target if it were actually realistic for a deal to be done this January.
Ferguson seems like another slightly risky option after his recent struggles at Brighton, but Jesus is something of an unknown.
Having only played in Brazil and the UAE in his career so far, it’s very hard to know how well he might adapt to the demands of playing for a top club in the Premier League and the Champions League.
Igor Jesus celebrates with his medal (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
Arsenal fans will have their own ideas about who would be the best signing up front this winter, but of course the club need to be realistic.
It’s never easy getting the players you want in the middle of the season, and so they have to weigh up how much they need someone, or indeed anyone, to come in right now, or whether it’s worth waiting for better options in the summer.
Jesus might be more realistically available this month, but it’s hard to imagine the Brazilian being a better option than Sesko, who is surely worth the wait until the summer.