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Arsenal plotting January swoop for Porto ace Mehdi Taremi

By on December 12, 2022

Mehdi Taremi

Arsenal are reportedly plotting a January swoop for FC Porto forward Mehdi Taremi as a potential replacement for injured Gabriel Jesus, as per the Portuguese outlet O Jogo (via Football.london).

The Gunners enjoyed a brilliant start to this campaign ahead of the World Cup hiatus. Mikel Arteta’s side are currently sitting at the top of the Premier League table with 37 points from 14 games, five points ahead of second-placed Manchester City.

The north London club appear to be one of the contenders to win the Premier League this term and they have a great opportunity to overcome their title drought after 18 years. However, their quest of becoming the English champion was dealt a major blow after the key first team member Gabriel Jesus sustained a long-term knee issue during international duty with Brazil. He is now expected to be sidelined for almost three months.

Following the Brazilian’s injury, the Gunners boss has been left with a very thin forward department, with Eddie Nketiah being the only option available at the Spaniard’s disposal for the centre-forward position. It would be an extremely daunting task for Arteta to mount a title charge along with achieving success in other cup competitions without the necessary depth in the frontline.

Mehdi Taremi to Arsenal

Therefore, it has widely been reported in recent weeks that Arsenal could now attempt to sign a new striker in January to replace Jesus. And, according to the report by O Jogo (via Football.london), Arsenal are now looking to make a move for Taremi this winter to bolster their forward line after being impressed by the Iranian’s performances during the World Cup.

The 30-year-old enjoyed a decent first half of this campaign with Porto, scoring six goals and notching up five assists in 13 Liga Portugal appearances. He also performed excellently in Qatar World Cup despite his country’s disappointing exit in the group stage, scoring twice and registering a solitary assist in three games.

The forward – valued at around £17m by Transfermarkt – is set to enter the final 18 months of his current contract and he is yet to sign an extension. So, Porto could cash in this winter in order to make the most profit out of his sale, unless he decides to renew his deal.

Taremi could be a good short-term solution for Arsenal. The Iranian has showcased in recent years that he can be productive in front of the goal and having displayed excellent performances in the Champions League this term and the World Cup, it proves that he can display his best at the highest level. So, making a January swoop for Taremi could be a shrewd decision by Arsenal if they can get a deal agreed.