Arsenal rush for new forward as Gabriel Jesus faces long spell out

The Brazilian forward suffered what is suspected to be a tear in his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during Sunday's FA Cup match against Manchester United, which they lost on penalties.

Ornstein confirmed, "Jesus is now set for a long spell out through a suspected ACL rupture, although it is his left knee rather than the right, on which he had surgery in 2022."

This injury has forced Arsenal to reconsider their transfer strategy immediately.

Mikel Arteta had previously banked on Kai Havertz and Jesus to lead the line this season, but with Jesus sidelined, the urgency to bolster the attack has escalated.

Ornstein added, "Further specialist reviews are scheduled for Tuesday to establish the full extent of the damage," highlighting another major blow for the Gunners.

In response, Arsenal have made moves in the transfer market, albeit with mixed success. They have seen an initial, modest offer for Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic rebuffed. 

The Serbian striker, with only 18 months left on his contract, could potentially be on the move, but Juventus have set a high bar, with sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli indicating that a transfer fee of at least 60 million euros would be needed for Vlahovic to leave Turin this month.

Arsenal's interest in strikers isn't new; names like Alexander Isak, Benjamin Sesko, and Matheus Cunha have been floated as potential targets.

However, the valuations are steep, with Newcastle's Isak, who has been in scintillating form with 10 goals in his last eight matches, reportedly carrying a price tag north of 100 million pounds, likely deterring any January move.

The Gunners are also exploring loan options, with Brighton's Evan Ferguson being a name in the mix. Transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher noted, "Arsenal are very much open to exploring a loan move for Ferguson now."

Ornstein has pointed out the complexity of the situation, stating, "Arsenal do have some financial room to manoeuvre, while their desire to recruit both a striker and wide attacker is long-standing and has not receded.

"The problem is the availability of players that manager Mikel Arteta wants, the level of cost involved, and whether the options would represent an upgrade on existing personnel."

There's also renewed interest in Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres, who Arsenal had previously considered for a summer move. The injury to Jesus might accelerate this interest, with discussions potentially happening in the final days of the transfer window.

Meanwhile, Arsenal's late bid to sign a promising Paraguayan youngster has fallen through, with the player now set to join Manchester United instead.

READ MORE: Arsenal fear Gabriel Jesus has ruptured ACL