3. Go big in January
Arsenal might only have one other ace up their sleeves: smash open the piggy bank.
Big business is far from an ideal proposition in mid-season and even the summer bore scant choice on the attacking front. Therefore, our prospects of getting a like-for-like Saka replacement are very slim and perhaps there is no appetite for one anyway, as the man himself will hopefully be back in a few weeks.
But the option is always there and we know Arteta likes to explore the winter market, exemplified by past efforts to sign Moises Caicedo and Mykhailo Mudryk (both January 2023) and the purchases of Trossard and Jorginho at that same time.
In addition, Trossard proved how transfer opportunities can crop up at short notice and many could be looking for new clubs across Europe as the month progresses, with Marcus Rashford being one player seeking a fresh start…
Regardless of whether the solutions involve moving furniture, blooding youngsters or a big winter splurge, Arteta simply must get this Saka-less period right – our domestic and European campaigns depend on it.