Arsenal are very light in terms of attacking depth at the moment.
Strangely, Mikel Arteta has only signed six forwards since replacing Unai Emery back in December 2019, and the Spaniard is now being made to pay for this poor recruitment.
Arsenal have lost Kai Havertz for the rest of the season after the German tore a hamstring, while Bukayo Saka is also recovering from the same injury, and Gabriel Jesus remains sidelined with a serious knee issue.
In fairness to Arteta, he did attempt to sign Savinho back in 2022 – a player who is now shining for Manchester City.
Arsenal nearly landed Savinho for £8.4m
A story from UOL back in January 2022 claimed that Arsenal held talks to sign Savinho while the talented winger was still playing for Atletico Mineiro.
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Edu – who has since left Arsenal – found Gabriel Martinelli in a £6m move from Ituano, and it was felt the Brazilian could use his connections in South America to land the Atletico Mineiro wonderkid.
However, the City Football Group eventually agreed an £8.4m deal for Savinho – initially assigning him to Troyes before a loan to Girona, where he impressed enough to seal a £30.8m move to the group’s flagship club Manchester City back in July 2024.
Savinho is now shining for Manchester City
Amid a time where Arteta could desperately use a new forward, the Manchester City No.26 is now starting to shine in the Premier League.
Savinho 🥶 pic.twitter.com/np9A5DtIKj
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 15, 2025
Savinho boasts seven assists and one goal in 20 Premier League appearances so far this season, with six of those goal involvements coming in the 20-year-old’s last five outings.
Arsenal possess the immensely talented Ethan Nwaneri – of course – who is doing a fine job in the absence of Saka, Havertz and Jesus, although Arteta is surely kicking himself that he couldn’t add Savinho to his frontline as well, given how quickly the Brazil international had adapted to English football.
At this moment in time, the boy from Sao Mateus is surely worth well over that £30.8m fee Manchester City spent on his services after a creative start to life in England.
