Arsenal failed to sign any players during the January transfer window and despite a mightily impressive 5-1 win over Manchester City, the empty deadline day followed up with elimination in the Carabao Cup by Newcastle has soured the mood. Unsurprisingly, plenty of misconceptions have since grown from the rubble of the first month of 2025.

The idea that Arsenal moved too late for Ollie Watkins, for example, or that they offered an amount that Aston Villa would never entertain, is simply not the case. For starters, what football.london understands that a £40million-plus-add-ons proposal came before even Jhon Duran’s talks with Al Nassr had advanced – indicating that talks would have begun in the week before the clash with Girona - when news of the offer came out. The offer was revealed to have come itself on the Monday of that week.

In fact, Aston Villa are understood to have been the protagonist of the talks. Clearly identifying an opportunity to get a good fee for a 29-year-old striker while having a ready-made replacement on their books.

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It would make no sense to have engaged in talks at this point had a team come in with a huge offer for Duran. Only a week prior, reports had claimed that Duran would not be allowed to leave in the winter window whatsoever – that all changed thanks to the sizeable offer from the Saudi Arabian club.

What Arsenal did offer was considered a very fair and reasonable proposal and stood among the highest ever made for a Premier League player by a fellow English top-flight club for someone in Watkins' age bracket. Sadly it was not enough to change the position of Unai Emery's side.

Despite initial reports suggesting the offer was £60million, this was in fact only in the ballpark that Villa were looking for to begin serious conversations over a move. It was a figure Arsenal felt was too high and, therefore, did not return with a second offer, preferring instead to wait until the summer to make a move for another of their targets such as Benjamin Sesko.

Sesko was a target for the winter, but with RB Leipzig chasing Champions League qualification, their expectations of letting the Slovenian striker leave fell way outside what both Arsenal were, due to UEFA Financial Fair Play pressures, willing and able to pay. However, these monetary obstacles do not absolve those behind the scenes from not making any moves.

Mikel Arteta was perhaps more outspoken than ever before about the club's need to sign a centre forward. He repeated several times how short his side was, how the club were looking for solutions and that a striker was indeed what they wanted while also reiterating that they would not compromise on quality or bring in bodies.

It is here where there is an argument that both the policy in the winter window and the success in identifying a viable option have fallen short. The club are a Kai Havertz injury away from disaster, and Gabriel Martinelli’s hamstring problem suffered at Newcastle is reportedly set to see him miss multiple weeks of action too.

It leaves Arteta with Havertz, Leandro Trossard, Ethan Nwaneri and Raheem Sterling as options for the front-three positions. Bukayo Saka is advancing but not expected back until March or April, while Gabriel Jesus will miss at least the rest of this season.

Jason Ayto, who stepped into the role of sporting director on an interim basis – for now – after the resignation of Edu last year, ultimately was tasked with finding that player. It didn't happen; and while perhaps there will be some appreciation for not panicking, the cautious approach could prove costly in the short term.

With all that said, work is already being done for the summer with a deal for Martin Zubimendi in a strong position ahead of a switch from Real Sociedad, football.london understands. A striker, back-up goalkeeper, wide player and potentially more depending on departures, will also be on the agenda.

Whether it is Ayto or another candidate who the club, according to Arteta, expects to decide upon soon, remains to be seen. How Arsenal end the current campaign, however will it seems be impacted by the absence of incomings in that January window.