Arsenal target Baena, Endrick and Nusa as Arteta seeks pace on the wing in January

Arsenal have identified Alex Baena, Endrick, Antonio Nusa and Junior Kroupi as potential winger targets for the January transfer window, with manager Mikel Arteta keen to address a lack of pace in his forward line following a summer that left the attack thinly resourced.

Arteta’s priority is a transition player capable of carrying the ball at speed and operating effectively in tight spaces. Bournemouth’s Kroupi is regarded as the ideal fit, but a January deal for the highly rated forward is considered unlikely, with the south-coast club expected to hold firm until the summer at the earliest.

With Kroupi unavailable in the short term, Arsenal are casting their net wider. Atletico Madrid’s Baena, Real Madrid’s Endrick and RB Leipzig’s Nusa have all been identified as viable alternatives, giving Arteta a shortlist of options across Spain and Germany.

Any incoming deal is expected to hinge on an outgoing, and the most significant domino could be Martin Zubimendi. Arsenal’s midfield depth stands in contrast to their attacking options, and several clubs — including Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Chelsea — believe a deal for the Spain international is achievable.

Should Zubimendi leave, Arsenal would look to redirect those funds into a wide signing. The Zubimendi situation could also provide unexpected leverage: because both Atletico and Real Madrid are interested in the midfielder, a player-plus-cash arrangement is not considered out of the question, which would still leave the door open for Arsenal to pursue Kroupi in the summer.