Two strikers who could fix Arsenal's striker problem without breaking the bank 

The festive period was depressing for Arsenal fans. Four points from a possible fifteen has left us dwindling in fourth, three places below our sworn goal.

Whenever a team hits a run of form like this, people inevitably and rightfully begin to question the set-up and the system. And there have unquestionably been holes in our team across this shaky dip-in-form.

There is the ongoing debate of our defensive competencies in the left-back position, and the lack of depth in our midfield.

Yet, for many fans and analysts alike, the big, big issue lies in our inability to break teams down. You cannot help but feel your heart drop if a Fulham or a West Ham manage to go ahead against us, as you sit by and watch them parking the proverbial bus.

When you combine this issue with our strikers’ somewhat profligate preponderance in front of goal, an obvious solution seems to be to strengthen in attack.

But, of course, in the middle of the season, on the back of a big, bold summer of recruitment, there isn’t a magic money tree at London Colney. So how can Arsenal fix their striker problem without breaking the bank?

It’s a hard one, isn’t it? Teams know that we’re in a sticky position, and so will charge us a premium for the privilege of taking their front man o their hands.

I think we can wave goodbye to breaking the bank for the likes of Toney, Osimhen, Ferguson or even old favourite Vlahovic, unless we do miraculous business for the likes of Smith-Rowe, Nketiah, Cedric, and so on.

Perhaps these clubs would consider a cash-plus-player option, but it’s very dicult to craft any such deal that seemingly makes sense for any of these respective teams.

Dominic Salanke has been tearing it up of late for Bournemouth. The Cherries striker is only two shy of the imperious Erling Haaland and Mo Salah in this campaign’s goalscoring charts. Surely he must have his sights set on higher planes. Surely he would love for a Champions League team with title aspirations to come knocking. But, having only recently signed a four-year contract with the South-Coast Club, he might just cost a pretty penny, too.

Then there’s Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy.

The twenty-seven-year-old has scored an impressive seventeen goals in fourteen Bundesliga appearances this season, catching the attention of Newcastle and Manchester United in the process. He’s described as a strong, physical, natural goalscorer, and may be available for as little as twenty million euros this window.

But I think we also have to fear the panicked, scattergun approach that has hurt us so much across the last ten-to-fifteen years. Recruitment under Arteta and Gaspar has been exceptional, and we don’t want to change that tact now to splash out on burdensome wages for a player who may not deliver.

So... a lateral option... say it quietly... is to look within. I can hear your audible sighs. More tinkering, more adjustments, more disruption, more over-complication. But with the necessity of pragmatism, I do think there are two interesting concepts here that are, at the very least, worth talking about.

The first is a man whose name is never far from the forefront of gunner-transfer-spending-goalscoring-doomsday chat. Mr Kai Havertz. Arsenal signed the German twenty-four-year old for what he brings in terms of physicality, much-storied ‘dual’ proficiency, and his movement. I’ve heard the phrase ‘ghosting-in’ bandied around a lot.

Mikel Arteta’s vision was evidently to utilise these traits in the midfield raumdeuter role. But a string of injuries and availability issues meant that Kai Havertz made his first appearance for the Gunners as a centre-forward, in our Community Shield victory over Man City.

And... dare I say it... I think he did alright. Okay he missed 1.5 good chances, but perhaps that can be attributed to the obvious nerves and uncertainty he felt during his first months at the club.

What impressed me that day from my bird’s eye view at Wembley, and has continued to be particularly notable ever since, is his hold-up play, his excellent ability to win aerial battles, and his strength at finding space.

When we find ourselves up against the low block of relegation-battle sides, in the hope of nicking a point or three, I do want to pose the question of whether, perhaps, Havertz oers a presence in the box that Jesus and Eddie simply don’t. A presence we’re missing right now.

Playing Havertz through the middle also gives Arteta the option of playing Jesus out-wide, which may create a much-needed rotation option for Martinelli and Saka, and may even allow Jesus to play to his creative, defender-pinning, quick-footed best.

Alternatively, perhaps somehow even more sceptically, is the option of trying Martinelli out through the middle. There is a faction of Arsenal fans who have been baying for this particular idea for a long time, and a section of said faction who see this as the long-term plan for Gabi.

Now, tactically, I’m not sure it makes all that much sense. I don’t think Gabi has the technical attributes of Jesus, or even the goalscoring abilities of Nketiah. But we have seen a dip in form from the Brazilian in recent weeks, and perhaps this switch-up could inspire him to his very scintillating zenith. A tentative argument, perhaps.

From a more analytical point of view, Arsenal do have a huge issue in regard to the doubling-up phenomenon that Gabi and Saka are subjected to every week. It hugely stifles their fluidity, and stunts our attacking flow. But if Gabi is playing up-top, with a Jesus, a Trossard, a Nelson, or possibly even a Neto (?!) out-wide, Premier League defenders have a new dilemma to deal with. If they choose to continue to commit bodies in repressing our wide men, then Martinelli may finally find the space he wants and needs.

If they revert to a man-to-man approach, then Arsenal find themselves playing against the same defensive blueprint that saw us bring our seamless, joyful attacking vim at the high points of last season.

Much to think about. And, in truth, no dead-cert answers. But we can be in no doubt that January is a huge window for us, and we need to strengthen in several positions

if we are to push for the title. Be that in new additions, returning squad players, or a rotation of our existing eleven.