Arsenal may have missed a golden opportunity to bolster their attack in the January transfer window, with former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann insisting that the Gunners should have made a move for Darwin Nunez.
Mikel Arteta was eager to strengthen his frontline following Gabriel Jesus’ season-ending injury, with Arsenal exploring options like Dusan Vlahovic, Benjamin Sesko, Alexander Isak, and Victor Osimhen. The club eventually submitted an official bid for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, but their approach was rejected.
Rather than pushing for another target, Arsenal opted to hold off on making a signing a decision that quickly backfired when Kai Havertz suffered a hamstring injury, leaving Arteta with only Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling, and teenage prospect Ethan Nwaneri as attacking options for the rest of the season.
Hamann believes Arsenal’s failure to sign a natural striker will hurt their chances of winning the Premier League or Champions League. He even suggested that Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez would have been a perfect fit for Arteta’s system.
“I don’t see Arsenal winning the Premier League or Champions League without a proper center forward like Ollie Watkins,” Hamann told Prime Casino. “Watkins was unlikely to leave Villa, but Arsenal needed a physical striker to lead their attack. Even Darwin Nunez would have been a brilliant addition.”
Since joining Liverpool from Benfica in 2022 for an initial £64 million, Nunez has had mixed success at Anfield, scoring 39 goals in 130 games. However, Hamann argues that his pace, physicality, and ability to draw defenders could have made Arsenal’s attack even more dangerous, creating space for Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Martin Ødegaard.
Nunez was linked with a January move, with interest from Saudi Arabian clubs, but Liverpool blocked his departure as they prepared for the crucial months ahead.
With Arne Slot’s side sitting seven points ahead of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League and favorites in the Champions League, the Gunners now face a massive challenge to keep up without the firepower they desperately needed to sign in January.