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Arsenal is reportedly monitoring Roberto Firmino's situation at Al-Ahli as the Gunners look for possible solutions to their striker crisis.

Mikel Arteta is without the majority of the forwards in his first-team squad, with Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli all rehabilitating after hamstring injuries, and Gabriel Jesus sidelined with a knee problem.

Havertz and Jesus will miss the remainder of the campaign, while Saka is still some way away from returning, and Martinelli is also not expected to return until March.

The Gunners lined up with a front three comprising Raheem Sterling, Leandro Trossard and the novice Ethan Nwaneri against Leicester last week, and relied on a brace from substitute Mikel Merino, who was deployed as a striker for the first time in his career, to claim all three points.

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Arsenal will need to have an almost perfect record between now and the end of the season to have a chance of winning the title, but it's hard to imagine the team achieving that over a span of 13 games without a recognized striker.

With the transfer window closed, Mikel Arteta does not have many options to rectify the situation, with Arsenal restricted to free agent additions.

Free agents are usually free agents for a reason and there are no particularly appealing options, with Mariano Diaz, Maxi Gomez and a 36-year-old Diego Costa the names that just about stand out.

Realistically, none of those players will be capable of driving Arsenal to the title, but another player whose name has been mentioned as a possible target is Roberto Firmino

Firmino is not currently a free agent, but he could soon become one after being left out of the Al-Ahli squad for the remainder of the season.

Firmino is seemingly trying to manufacture an exit as a result of that, and doing so would make him a free agent

While it is two years since he departed the Premier League, he would most likely be a far better option than the likes of Diaz, Gomez and Costa, and it would be logical for the Gunners to consider an approach should he become available.

However, it's hard to imagine Firmino would jump at the chance to help Liverpool's only rival in the title run-in

A move to the Emirates Stadium would tarnish the Brazilian's Anfield legacy, irrespective of whether the Gunners went on to win the league or not, as it would have been obvious that he had moved there to try and prevent the Reds from winning the league

Fichajes reports that Firmino is keen on a return to England but the Spanish outlet is not particularly reliable and Liverpool fans would probably be safe to assume that a move to Arsenal won't happen.


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