EPL Index
·12 December 2025
Report: Arsenal eyeing world-class duo in major transfer move

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Yahoo sportsEPL Index
·12 December 2025

Arsenal’s forward planning in the transfer market is coming into sharper focus, with Caught Offside reporting that the club are tracking two elite wide attackers while remaining relaxed about their centre forward position. The emphasis is on evolution rather than overhaul, a familiar theme in Mikel Arteta’s methodical rebuild.

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According to the report, Arsenal are not seeking to sign a new striker despite ongoing scrutiny of Viktor Gyokeres. Confidence remains high internally following significant investment to bring the Swedish international from Sporting Lisbon in the summer. The club view his role as central to their attacking structure, rather than a position requiring immediate competition or replacement.
As first reported in Caught Offside’s Daily Briefing, Arsenal “still have a lot of faith in Viktor Gyokeres after spending big to sign him from Sporting Lisbon in the summer.” That belief shapes their approach. Rather than targeting another number nine, recruitment efforts are focused on players who can complement Gyokeres and enhance the fluidity of the front line.

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This stance reflects continuity in Arsenal’s thinking. Gyokeres was identified as a long term solution, and there is little appetite to disrupt that pathway so early into his time in North London.
Sources cited by Caught Offside indicate that Real Madrid’s Rodrygo Goes and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao are the two names most prominent on Arsenal’s attacking shortlist. Both have been admired for some time and fit the profile Arteta prefers, versatile, technically strong and capable of influencing matches from wide areas.

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Arsenal’s attack has already evolved. Noni Madueke arrived in the summer and has featured on both flanks, while Eberechi Eze has been deployed in a front three when not covering Martin Odegaard centrally. The squad is flexible, but further refinement is being considered.
There are practical reasons behind this interest. Leandro Trossard is moving into the later stages of his career, Gabriel Martinelli has been inconsistent, and both Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz have struggled with injuries. Adding a player such as Rodrygo or Leao would not be reactive, but preventative, strengthening depth and raising the overall level of the attacking unit.
Arsenal’s approach is calm, targeted and consistent with their recent recruitment model, incremental upgrades designed to sustain title contention rather than chase headlines.
Arsenal fans have waited years for a club that sticks to a plan, and the calm stance on Gyokeres reflects trust in recent decisions. After calling for a dominant striker for so long, supporters now see the logic in allowing that signing time to settle.
The interest in Rodrygo and Leao is exciting, even if deals of that scale feel ambitious. Both would raise the ceiling of the attack instantly, offering pace, unpredictability and big game experience. Arsenal fans understand these are difficult deals, but ambition matters, and simply being in the conversation signals progress.
There is also realism among supporters. Injuries to Jesus and Havertz, alongside Martinelli’s uneven form, have exposed a lack of cutting edge at times. Adding elite wide quality rather than another striker feels like smart squad building, not neglect.
Overall, this looks like a club thinking two steps ahead. For Arsenal fans, that sense of control and coherence is almost as satisfying as any marquee signing.
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