Mikel Merino covered for Kai Havertz superbly well last time out at Arsenal – but Mikel Arteta still needs a new striker.
The Spain international scored both goals as Arsenal recorded a 2-0 win over Leicester last week, keeping the Gunners in the Premier League title race, although depth is worryingly thin across the attacking department.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 25 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 60 | 24 | 36 | 60 |
| 2 |  ArsenalArsenal | 25 | 15 | 8 | 2 | 51 | 22 | 29 | 53 |
| 3 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 25 | 14 | 5 | 6 | 41 | 29 | 12 | 47 |
Not only is Havertz absent, but Gabriel Jesus could also be out until the end of 2025, while Bukayo Saka is still recovering from a torn hamstring too.
With Mikel Arteta abundantly aware Arsenal need a new striker, the Gunners have now started to keep tabs on Youssef En-Nesyri.
Arsenal monitoring Youssef En-Nesyri
A story from Takvim in Turkey now states that Arsenal are keeping an eye on the Morocco international, ahead of a potential summer bid.
En-Nesyri has started 2025 in fantastic form, scoring 14 goals in just 11 appearances for Fenerbahce, which has alerted Manchester United as well as Arsenal.
🔵⚪ Adana Demirspor 0-4 Fenerbahçe 🟡🔵
— beIN SPORTS Türkiye (@beINSPORTS_TR) January 19, 2025
⚽ En-Nesyri'nin ilk golü
💬 "Tadic, resmen ayağına attı."
💬 "Gerçekten, bugün vuruşlar müthişti."
🗣️ #beINSÜPERLİG pic.twitter.com/XxWybJon2r
Takvim add that a bid of €35m (£29m) was made for the Moroccan during the winter transfer window from an unnamed club, although Fenerbahce opted to reject the offer.
En-Nesyri, who was linked to West Ham last summer, has netted 23 goals in 35 games across all competitions so far this season.
Mikel Arteta could bring a “pure goalscorer” to the Emirates Stadium
The 27-year-old is a remarkably consistent goalscorer.
En-Nesyri boasts 116 goals in 325 career appearances, with 73 of those strikes coming in 196 games for Sevilla.
During his time in Spain, En-Nesyri was even called a “pure goalscorer” by Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout, after a particularly strong couple of weeks in which he scored two hat-tricks.
Arsenal remain keen on Benjamin Sesko – while Alexander Isak is the dream target for Arteta – but if those moves fail to materialise, a swoop for the Fenerbahce No.19 could prove fruitful for the Gunners.