For Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta, this season holds great promise as they aim to win the Premier League for the third time in their history.

The Gunners have been dangerously close to ending their two-decade wait for a top-division trophy during the last two campaigns, but the summer investment has raised expectations for the Spaniard.

Just two of the additions made this summer are Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino, whose skills will give the team an extra advantage as they pursue a league championship.

With five victories and two draws from their first seven league games, Arteta’s team has had a strong start to the 2024–25 season. However, if they had held on against Manchester City, the current champions, they could have achieved more.

Bukayo Saka has continued his excellent play from the previous season in the Premier League, recording two goals and seven assists thus far.

Kai Havertz, another attacker, has been playing well at home. He scored in the team’s most recent league match against Southampton, extending his scoring streak to seven games at the Emirates.

But for one player who hasn’t impressed under Arteta in the first few months of the current season, the same cannot be said.

Arsenal’s 2024–2025 stats for Gabriel Jesus

Gabriel Jesus came to the Emirates in the summer of 2022 after joining from Manchester City in a deal of £45 million, and he was expected to significantly improve the team’s offensive line.

His transfer brought about huge excitement from the fanbase, with the club finally addressing the attacking department – a part of the squad many thought was the weakest element and subsequently holding them back from progressing up the table.

Whilst his opening campaign demonstrated glimpses of his quality with a tally of 11 goals and seven assists in all competitions, his career in North London has failed to take off with injuries often having an impact on his playing time.

The Brazilian suffered a knee injury at the World Cup in Qatar back in 2022, with various setbacks occurring after his surgery making him an unreliable option for Arteta in recent times.

However, this season he’s put his recent injury woes behind him, subsequently being available for the majority of games, but he’s yet to demonstrate his form from his opening campaign at the Emirates.

The 27-year-old has just made one Premier League start, is yet to score a goal or provide an assist, and frequently finds himself behind Kai Havertz in the North London hierarchy.

Jesus is fortunate that Arteta does not have him higher down his list of priorities given that the team conducted a thorough search for a new striker in the summer but was unable to find one.

But, with the team reportedly stepping up their efforts to strengthen the forward line, the former Manchester City star might still find himself pushed closer to the exit door in the upcoming months.

The summertime pursuit of Benjamin Sesko by Arsenal

Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig was a striker that Arsenal sought to capture very early in the summer transfer window in order to strengthen their title hopes for this season.

Although no formal bid was made for the 21-year-old forward, Arteta’s team consistently mentioned the Slovenian international as their top choice for the center-forward position.

Any attempt to acquire the lucky charm was, however, dashed during the summer when Sesko decided to stay in Leipzig and continue his growth there rather than transfer to the Premier League, signing a new contract with the Bundesliga team.

The Gunners’ search for a new striker came to a halt after Arteta’s contract renewal, as he chose not to spend money needlessly on a new alternative at the top of the pitch and instead waited for a more capable option.

 

While they might try to persuade Sesko to relocate to the Emirates again in January, there are probably other choices being considered instead of joining the team, such as a player who has already attracted attention this season.

Arsenal is thinking about acquiring a striker like Sesko.According to reports, Arsenal and Chelsea are fighting for the signature of Bologna forward Santiago Castro in the lead-up to the January transfer window.Although he only joined the Italian team in January of this year, the 20-year-old’s impact on Serie A this season has already been enormous.

In his first seven league games, Castro has already tallied three goals and one assist. Considering his youth, the young player still has room to grow.

 

Even though he might not be as well-known as Sesko, he has produced some amazing figures this season—many of which are even better than the Slovenian star.

The “complete” Argentinian, as analyst Ben Mattinson has dubbed him, is comparable to Sesko, according to FBref. He has outscored the Slovenian this season in both leagues while also managing to put more of his shots on goal, giving Arteta the extra clinical edge he has been looking for.

 

Castro is an ideal fit for the possession-based system used by the Gunners because he has won more duels per ninety while also attaining a 10% greater pass completion percentage.Although the cost of a January transfer for the Bologna star is unknown, it is certain that he is a superb player with many talents that would surely enhance Arteta’s attacking options.

 

With Chelsea, a Premier League foe, showing interest, the Gunners could need to move fast to avoid losing out on such a highly regarded young player.

Sesko will still likely be many people’s first choice, but Castro has already shown his ability this season, so the club’s recruitment team may need to keep an eye on him longer before the next transfer window opens.

 

Jesus, the team’s current striker, could suffer from any move for the 20-year-old because of his injury history and lack of impact, which could force him to leave the Emirates in order to make room for Castro in the near future.