Arsenal: 3 striker targets in January transfer window

3. Arthur Cabral – FC Basel

Age: 23
Rumoured fee: £15m
Contract expiry: 2023

The newest addition to an ever growing list of striker targets for Arsenal is Arthur Cabral.

Signed permanently by Basel 18 months ago after netting 18 goals in 39 appearances during a season-long loan spell in 2019/20, the 23-year-old hasn’t stopped scoring since. His tally of 27 in 31 matches in all competitions this season is supplemented by eight assists, and he earned a maiden call up to the Brazil national squad back in October.

Some eye-catching goals have set the hype train into overdrive – a quarter of his 18 goals in his first season in Switzerland were scored outside of the box – and now Jeunes Footeux list Arsenal as one of the sides highly interested in securing his signature.

Coveted by Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, the latter may have already ruled themselves out having somehow conjured up £55m from thin air to sign Ferran Torres from Manchester City this winter.

A tall centre-forward, Cabral possesses the usual solid technique from strikers learning their trade in Brazil. Notable from his time in Switzerland is his array of finishing techniques, ranging from efforts outside the box, instinctive finishes in the box and one-touch efforts from wide deliveries. When you score the volume of goals he’s has it’s expected that you’ll have netted a healthy variety.

This season the physical side of his game as improved considerably, with his hold-up play and ball shielding more consistent across his performances. As a whole, his attributes are neatly suited to the Premier League, and he won’t break the bank.

The gamble is always, of course, whether or not his displays in the Swiss Super League transfer as cleanly into the top tier in England. Still, he is someone said to be on the radar.

Verdict: A rumour and no more than that