Arteta Urges Arsenal to Chase Top Striker in January, Warning Signs Behind Anfield Win
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- Mikel Arteta menetapkan penyerang kelas atas sebagai prioritas utama Arsenal pada bursa Januari.
- Kemenangan 1-0 di Liverpool membuktikan ketahanan skuad, tetapi cedera Saka dan jadwal padat memaksa manajemen bergerak.
- Perburuan Eli Junior Kroupi dan Kenan Yildiz akan diuji oleh persaingan dari PSG, Bayern Munich, dan sikap Bournemouth.
Mikel Arteta does not want the dramatic win at Anfield to be merely a statistical footnote. The Arsenal manager, according to a report by The Mirror journalist John Cross, has made a top-class forward his main target in the upcoming January transfer window. The move is intended to secure the top of the table and reinforce the club's Champions League ambitions.
The 1-0 win over Liverpool on Sunday (5/10) did give Arsenal a three-point lead over Manchester City. Kai Havertz's goal from Declan Rice's low cross in the 16th minute proved the difference in a fiercely contested match. Yet behind that result, Arteta faces a real problem: reliance on the players available and a shortage of options up front.
Bukayo Saka is still receiving treatment for a thigh injury sustained in the Champions League draw against Bayern Munich. He has missed three matches and there is no certainty about when he will return. Arteta is even waiting for the results of a further scan to determine whether the tendon is affected. The situation is compounded by the absence of other players such as Noni Madueke and Christos Tzolis, who have only just recovered, and Eberechi Eze, who needed medical treatment just to be named in the squad.
The shock defeat to Fleetwood in the Carabao Cup had already sounded the alarm for Arteta. Although the win at Anfield showed a positive response, the packed schedule keeps demanding rotation. This Wednesday Arsenal travel to Slavia Prague in the Champions League, then host Hull City at the weekend. With the competition so tight, Arteta needs players who are not only quality but also injury-resistant and consistent.
“We need to make sure every player who comes in can make an instant impact. It is not about adding numbers, but the right quality,” Arteta said at the post-match press conference, as quoted by reporters.
Cross reports that Arteta wants a forward capable of operating in several positions, with the main focus on the left wing. Arsenal are said to be monitoring Eli Junior Kroupi, the young Bournemouth forward who has impressed this season. However, The Cherries are reportedly unwilling to let the player go in the winter window. Besides Kroupi, the name of Juventus's Kenan Yildiz is also still under consideration. The competition could become more complicated because PSG and Bayern Munich are linked with the same player.
Arsenal's failure to sign Morgan Rogers and Vinícius Júnior last summer left a gap in the attack. Sporting director Andrea Berta is now under pressure to move quickly. With ambitions to win the Premier League and Champions League, extra firepower up front is no longer a luxury but an urgent need. Every new injury will further narrow Arteta's options, and that could lead to the loss of precious points amid tight competition.
For Arsenal fans in Indonesia, this step reflects the club's seriousness in maintaining momentum. Although the Indonesian domestic league has different characteristics, the need for squad depth and injury management remains a valuable lesson. Arsenal cannot rely on just one or two key players if they want to compete in several competitions at once.
The question is, can the Arsenal management deliver on Arteta's request in January? With a window known to be difficult, negotiations for players of the caliber of Kroupi or Yildiz will be a test of the club's ambition. If they fail, the top position they now hold could well erode as the season unfolds.
