Mikel Arteta wants three new players in January window to revive Arsenal title bid

The continued absence of Jurrien Timber, coupled with Oleksandr Zinchenko’s inconsistent form and Takehiro Tomiyasu’s unavailability, will leave Arsenal light on options at the back and the club have already been linked with a swoop for Ajax teenager Jorrel Hato.

The need for a midfielder, meanwhile, has been heightened by Thomas Partey’s worse-than-originally-feared injury which has seen him miss the Africa Cup of Nations.

If Arsenal can find a suitable, affordable holding midfielder they could pounce this month, with Declan Rice then pushed further forward into a No.8 role, while right-wing cover for Saka is also sought – though it is felt this can wait until the summer.

The Gunners were top of the Premier League table on Christmas Day but have already slipped to fourth place – just one point ahead of north London rivals Tottenham – after back-to-back defeats.

Arsenal have actually only recorded one win in their last six matches in all competitions and have particularly struggled for goals during that run, while 12 teams have at least one player who has scored more than the Gunners’ top scorer, Bukayo Saka.

According to The Times, Arteta is keen to bolster his faltering side with January reinforcements and a new forward is one of three areas the Spaniard wants to address.

The north Londoners have been linked with a move for Brentford’s Ivan Toney for some time, though they are unlikely to be in a position to spend big this month.

Brentford are expected to demand in excess of £80million for the striker, who can return to action in two weeks’ time after serving a ban for breaching FA betting rules.

However, the Bees are wary of letting Toney leave after losing Bryan Mbuemo to injury and sliding down the table, with the forward more likely to leave in the summer when he will have just one year left on his contract.

Brentford striker Ivan Toney wanted by Arsenal

Brentford star Toney might be a little too expensive for Arsenal (Picture: Getty)

Any move for a new striker is also dependent on selling Eddie Nketiah; although the forward is well liked by Arteta, the club are prepared to cash in if they receive a good offer this month.

Arsenal will then need to decide whether to bring in a new, more prolific frontman to replace Gabriel Jesus, or simply sign an upgrade on Nketiah to provide more reliable cover and competition.

Victor Osimhen is another player Arsenal have been monitoring, though again his price tag could prevent any deal this month, while Feyenoord’s Santiago Gimenez has also caught the eye.

In addition to a new forward, Arteta also wants to sign a full-back and a holding midfielder – though again those plans will be hampered by financial constraints.