Time is running out for Arsenal to bring in a much-needed striker in the January transfer window. The Gunners’ 5-1 mauling of Manchester City on Sunday appears to have momentarily silenced disgruntlement among the Arsenal faithful. But there is no doubt, as club legend Thierry Henry reiterated after their win, that they could do with a new arrival before Monday’s 11pm deadline in order to bolster their attacking options.

The north Londoners have remained quiet in their transfer activity this month despite Mikel Arteta being clear that he wants a forward. Moves for the likes of Newcastle’s Alexander Isak and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko look to be out of reach, while the Gunners also had a bid rejected for Ollie Watkins after falling well short of Aston Villa’s £60million valuation. Whether they opt to return with a second bid remains to be seen. However, the Gunners may yet stun us as they have done in the past with several January signings. Here are the top five deals they have managed to pull off dating back to the Arsene Wenger era:.

Only Arsenal fans will truly be able to recognise what a shrewd and impressive signing Nacho Monreal was. The Spaniard arrived on deadline day of January 2013 without much expectation due to his £8.5million price-tag, as well as having come from a lesser known club in Malaga. But the left-back went on to become a fan-favourite, playing over 250 games across six-and-a-half years in north London, where he won three FA Cups. Monreal was known for being dependable and wearing his heart on his sleeve, even scoring six goals during a prolific 2017/18 campaign.

Leandro Trossard is undoubtedly the best permanent January signing of Arteta’s tenure. Things looked bleak in 2023 when Mykhaylo Mudryk, who had been angling for a move to Arsenal for several months, suddenly signed for London rivals Chelsea. The Gunners turned their attention to signing Trossard from Brighton for £27m, with the Belgian making an immediate impact in the form of 10 assists and a goal in the remainder of the season. He scored an impressive 17 goals in all competitions last season, including two in the Champions League knockout stages against Porto and Bayern Munich. He has recently enjoyed a return to form despite his relatively meagre five goals and six assists this season.

Rarely has a young player arrived with as much hype as Theo Walcott did when he signed from Southampton as a lightning quick 16-year-old in 2006. He spent the next 12 and a half years at Arsenal, scoring 108 goals in just under 400 games, winning two FA Cups. While injuries and inconsistency held him back from reaching his lofty potential, his committed service and a selection of memorable goals etched him into the club’s folklore. Not bad for £5m.

Martin Odegaard saved Arsenal just as much as the Gunners saved the Norwegian’s career. Once regarded as one of the world’s brightest wonderkids, a 22-year-old Odegaard had become desperately in need of a change after failing to break through at Real Madrid. In came Arteta, signing him on loan in January 2021 at a time where his own team needed a spark. Odegaard was quietly impressive in his first half-season in England but really set the Emirates alight after his transfer became permanent for around £40m the following summer. He quickly became Arsenal’s captain and a poster boy for Arteta’s revolution at the club, encapsulating the Spaniard’s philosophy with his high-pressing and deftness on the ball.

His impact was so clear that even rival Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp once said: “I’m really happy that he has now become the player we all expected him to become. In fact, even better than that, if you will. Really a top player.” All there is left for Odegaard to do is lift some silverware as the Arsenal skipper. Arsenal’s £60m signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Dortmund in 2018 is exactly what the January window should be all about - a superstar talent arriving without prior indication to dramatically change a club’s fortunes. Always cheerful off the pitch, the Gabonese forward demonstrated a ruthlessness in front of goal unseen since the days of Thierry Henry at Highbury, scoring 10 goals in 13 games in his first half-season.

He followed that up by sharing the Premier League Golden Boot in his first full campaign (2018/19), before carrying the side to victory in the 2019/20 FA Cup final, netting twice against Chelsea. He left under a dark cloud in early 2022 after disciplinary issues soured his relationship with Arteta. And while his legacy was damaged by joining Chelsea, his impact in four years at the club cannot be understated.

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