ARSENAL will be given £50million to spend in January.
But the club are reportedly NOT targeting a striker despite Gabriel Jesus’ injury.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side are top of the Premier League and five points clear
Gabriel Jesus could be out for as long as three months
As revealed by SunSport in October, the Emirates board are prepared to back their manager Mikel Arteta when the transfer window reopens as they continue their surprise Premier League title bid.
However, according to Football Insider, a striker is not on their New Year’s wish list.
Jesus is currently out for around a month with a knee injury aggravated at the World Cup.
But his spell on the sideline could be as long as three months if he decides to undergo surgery.
Jesus flew back to London yesterday and will now be assessed by the Arsenal medical team to decide the best course of action.
His injury leaves Eddie Nketiah as the only senior striker in the Arsenal squad, although Gabriel Martinelli can play up front if needed.
Piers Morgan wants his beloved side to snap up Barcelona and Netherlands ace Memphis Depay.
But it is reported Arteta will spend the £50m kitty elsewhere with a winger and central midfielder the priorities.
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
After missing out on Douglas Luis, Arsenal could revive their interest in another Brazilian midfielder, the 21-year-old Palmeiras star Danilo.
They are also keeping track of Shakhtar Donetsk’s young Ukrainian international Mykhaylo Mudryk and Villarreal’s exciting 20-year-old Yeremy, who would both cost somewhere in the region of £25m.
The Gunners spent £130m in the summer to bring in Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner and Marquinhos.
The team have gelled expertly at the start of the season and sit top of the league with 37 points from 14 games – five clear of second-place Manchester City.
However, Arteta also admitted January is a notoriously hard window to buy in as they look to win the title for the first time since 2004.
He said: “The planning of that period is extremely difficult.
“First of all because we know the January window, how special it is, the opportunities that you have, the short window that you have.
“And obviously with the position that we are in right now as well, it demands as well another level of player – and that player has to be available.
“We will look at everything and let’s see what we can do.”
