Arsenal decided to splash the cash to bolster their squad last summer as they swooped in to sign West Ham United captain Declan Rice in a £105m deal. The Gunners also snapped up Kai Havertz from Chelsea and Jurrien Timber from Ajax on permanent deals to go along with a loan move for David Raya from Brentford.
However, their investment has not seen them push on from their second place finish in the Premier League last season as they currently sit third in the division and five points behind Liverpool in first.
The January transfer window is open for business however and Arsenal reportedly have their eye on a new target to bolster their attacking ranks at The Emirates.
Arsenal’s pursuit of a new number nine
According to FootballTransfers, Edu Gaspar has set his sights on another Brazilian attacker to link up with Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus in the final third. The report claims that the Gunners are eyeing up a swoop for Porto centre-forward Evanilson to provide Mikel Arteta with more firepower at the top end of the pitch.
Arsenal have scored 42 goals in their 22 Premier League matches so far this season, which is the lowest tally of all teams currently occupying the top five places in the division.
The report states that they are looking at Porto’s 24-year-old to lead the line for the club next season. However, it does not reveal whether or not a transfer would be possible before the end of the current transfer window, or if they will wait until the summer to make their move.
FootballTransfers report that the Portuguese side are set to demand a fee within the region of €75m (£64m) for their star attacker and that ‘many’ inside Arsenal believe that his potential makes it a worthwhile signing at that price. They add that the club’s new scout, Paulo Xavier, has been brought in due to his expertise with South American talents, and Evanilson could be the latest star from that continent to arrive in North London.
How many goals has Evanilson scored?
The former Brazil U23 international has plundered an eye-catching 16 goals and five assists in 23 appearances for Porto in all competitions this season, which includes six goals in two domestic cup outings. Meanwhile, no Arsenal player has hit double figures for goals in all competitions during the 2023/24 campaign. Bukayo Saka currently leads the way with nine.
As you can see in the table above, Evanilson – albeit in the Portuguese top-flight instead of the Premier League – has outperformed Arteta’s current strikers with more goals and fewer big chances missed in the league this term. The 24-year-old talent, who U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed has “been cooking recently“, has also showcased his quality in the Champions League with four goals and one assist in five group stage matches this season.
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He could be a lethal scorer for the Gunners if his form is translatable to English football and it is now down to Edu to work his magic either this month or in the summer to acquire Evanilson’s services for Arteta.
