Arsenal ready to put move for a striker on hold until the end of the season and concentrate on signing a new midfielder in January

Arsenal are ready to put their move for a striker on hold until the end of the season and concentrate on signing a new midfielder during the January transfer window following an injury setback to Thomas Partey, reports the Daily Mail.

The North London club had been expected to bolster their attacking ranks during the winter window, with Brentford striker Ivan Toney reportedly on their radar.

However, Arsenal need to operate on a tight budget to ensure they are still within Financial Fair Play guidelines after splashing over £200 million during the summer transfer window, and they see signing another midfielder as a top priority.

Partey will be out of action for the rest of the year after undergoing a minor treatment procedure to continue his recovery from a thigh injury, and manager Mikel Arteta wants to ease the workload on Declan Rice and Jorginho in the absence of the Ghana international.

It remains to be seen when the 30-year-old will return to action given that he has struggled with his fitness all campaign, and Arsenal know they need to bring in a replacement.

However, failure to sign another striker in January could prove costly with both Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah currently unavailable due to injuries right now.

Arsenal had to deploy Leandro Trossard in the number 9 position against Sevilla last night as a result, and while they ran out 2-0 winners, they cannot afford to be short in such a position going forward this season.

Additionally, Jesus and Nketiah are not prolific, and while other attackers can also find the back of the net with ease, signing a quality finisher in January could make all the difference in the title race.

Arsenal could look to sell players to supplement their limited budget in January as signing both a midfielder and striker could be necessary to boost their chances of winning major silverware this term.