Arsenal transfer plans in turmoil after Danny Welbeck injury forces Unai Emery to step-up £45m pursuit of Lille winger Nicolas PepeGunners need a rethink of their January sales plans as rookie Eddie Nketiah is now the main back-up for front two Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette
Emery had not been planning to make any new signings until the summer.
But Welbeck’s injury means that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette are now the only available senior strikers.
And with both of those players starting in Arsenal’s strongest team, that leaves only teenage rookie Eddie Nketiah on stand-by.
Nketiah, 19, has never started a senior game for Arsenal and has not featured at all under Emery.
The Londoner did manage ten substitute appearances for Arsene Wenger last season but has completed just 17 minutes of Premier League action so far.
With Arsenal fighting to secure a top-four finish and harbouring serious ambitions of winning the Europa League and Carabao Cup, Emery knows he will need more threat up front.
Head of recruitment Sven Mislintat has been keeping a close eye on Ivorian international Pepe, who has scored nine goals for French title contenders Lille this season.
But with Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund also keen on the forward, 23, he is not going to come cheaply.
Arsenal have not budgeted for any major signings in the New Year and have now been forced to abandon the idea of selling Welbeck before he becomes a free agent in the summer.
But they do not want to damage the momentum created by Emery and will provide the funds for another striker if the manager deems it necessary.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football ... epe-lille/