Arsenal's injury woes have hit hard, and desperate times could call for desperate measures in attack. Gabriel Jesus is out for the season, while Bukayo Saka is not yet ready to return after hamstring surgery. With Gabriel Martinelli now expected to miss around a month of football, and Kai Havertz now expected to miss the rest of the campaign after suffering an issue during the Gunners' warm-weather camp in Dubai, Mikel Arteta's options are looking thin on the ground.
Arsenal had a chance to add to their squad in January, but weren't able to get a deal over the line. They failed to land Ollie Watkins, and opted against breaking the bank for a new recruit despite a variety of links. There are a few options available to Arteta from within the current squad, but there is still another thing they could .do. Clubs who haven't filled up their 25-man allocation for their Premier League squad - and Arsenal are one of those - can still add free agents outside the window.
The attacking options in the free agent market are an interesting bunch, but when the Gunners have little choice in the matter they could still be tempted. Here are some of the players currently without a club who could be tempting options for the London side. How to get Premier League darts tickets and see Luke Littler in action. Arsenal injury update and expected returns as Kai Havertz adds to Mikel Arteta crisis.
Still just 31, Mariano had two spells at Real Madrid and featured during their runs to Champions League glory in 2017 and 2022. He has been without a club since leaving Sevilla at the end of last season, having featured against the Gunners in two European ties last season. Uruguay striker Gomez was part of his country's squad at the 2022 World Cup, and has 50 La Liga goals to his name during a career spent mostly at Celta Vigo and Valencia. The 28-year-old left Trabzonspor over the summer, having failed to score during a loan spell at relegated Cadiz last term, but there certainly was a time when he knew where the net was.
A popular figure when coming through the ranks at Arsenal, Vela never quite made the cut despite a memorable cup hat-trick in 2008. He has spent the last six years in Major League Soccer with Los Angeles FC, for whom he is the all-time top scorer with 78 goals in 152 league games, and he last played for the California club in October 2024. Another former Arsenal man, Perez scored a Champions League hat-trick in his first season in North London but left in 2018 after just 21 appearances. The 36-year-old left Deportivo La Coruna for personal reasons in January, so it's unclear whether he would be open for a return to football - especially one away from his native Spain.
Wolves found themselves in a similar position to Arsenal in 2022 as Sasa Kalajdzic suffered an ACL injury, and the man they turned to was Costa. The Spanish international was no longer the force who helped Chelsea win two Premier League titles, though, and he scored just once for the club. Goals have been easier to come by in Brazil, where he bagged eight for Gremio in 2024, but he became a free agent after leaving the club in December.
Thought you'd seen the last of transfer stories featuring Leandro Damiao's name? Guess again! The Brazilian was linked with a Premier League switch in his younger days, with Tottenham regularly mentioned, but he's now 35 and without a club since leaving Coritiba after suggesting he wanted a return to former side Internacional. Will Arsenal succeed where their neighbours failed? Almost certainly not, but we can dream.
