Arsenal given £39m striker transfer ultimatum as Mikel Arteta makes brutally honest confession

Arsenal have been dealt a blow to their hopes of signing Santiago Gimenez. The 23-year-old striker has been linked with a move to the Premier League for a while now as he continues to impress for Feyenoord in the Dutch top flight.

Gimenez, who sees his contract at De Kuip expire in 2027, has featured 29 times in the Eredivisie this season, netting 21 and assisting five. Despite his rich form in front of goal, Arne Slot's side have fallen short in the title race, with PSV Eindhoven now just one win away from winning a 25th honour.

The Mexico international fired Feyenoord to the top of the Eredivisie last term; he and the Dutch outfit couldn't quite defend their crown this time around. Nevertheless, Gimenez has reportedly caught the eye of some big European clubs ahead of the summer transfer window.

According to Mexican publication Record, the striker wants to leave De Kuip. The report states that Arsenal, Juventus and Atletico Madrid are interested in Gimenez, who's said to prefer a move to La Liga due to his 'physical playing style'.

With that being said, Record have clarified the Mexican will not rule out a move to any league and there are currently no advanced talks with any team. football.london understands that Arsenal are in the market for a dynamic centre-forward.

It's believed that Mikel Arteta wants somebody who offers great versatility to his frontline – unlike Ivan Toney or Viktor Gyokeres, who are pigeonholed as out-and-out strikers. Interestingly, Gimenez has also been largely reduced to the number nine role throughout his career.

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Despite this, Arteta has previously voiced his desire for a striker who can 'score 35 or 40 goals a season'. Speaking to CBS Sports following Arsenal's defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg, the Spaniard admitted that he doesn't have a free-scoring frontman.

When asked about a lack of returns from strikers, he replied: "We have been the team that has scored more goals in the Premier League. From everywhere, because of the reality is we don't have a striker that is going to score 35 or 40 goals.

"So we have to live with that, we have many other qualities. Today is a day to stick behind the players, because they have given us so much and have taken us on this journey."

Then, Arteta was asked by TNT Sports if Arsenal need to improve their mentality or personnel. He said: "I think it’s mentality in those moments. We saw that lack of experience in those moments and not being in that moment that many times.

"There needs to be that little bit more urgency in the closing exchanges. Perhaps Saka taking that quick free-kick too early. Kim was distraught giving the free-kick away, knowing it was a difficult position.

"Saka made that decision in the moment. I admire that as well, but I think it might have been better taking that delivery and maybe scoring a wonder goal from the free-kick.

"All of these things cost you, but you want to see the ball going into the box and that urgency wasn’t there. That is a lack of experience being in those sort of major games and knowing what to do in those critical moments."