Arsenal transfer news: Danny Welbeck injury forces Unai Emery to step-up £45million pursuit of Lille winger Nicolas Pepe
Gunners need a rethink of their January sales plans as rookie Eddie Nketiah is now the main back-up for front two Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette
UNAI EMERY is having to rethink his transfer plans as he faces up to being without Danny Welbeck for the rest of the season.
Welbeck, 27, is in hospital and due to undergo surgery over the weekend after suffering a broken right ankle during Thursday’s Europa League game against Sporting Lisbon.
The Arsenal medical team are still waiting for the results of an MRI scan and for the swelling around Welbeck’s injury to diminish before making a full diagnosis.
But they fear the England striker could also have suffered ligament damage and the likelihood is that he will be out of action for at least six months.
And with his contract due to expire at the end of the season, there is a strong possibility that Welbeck could have played his final game for the club.
His long-term absence leaves Emery desperately short of attacking options for Arsenal’s fight on four fronts.
And now the Arsenal boss could be forced to step up his £45million pursuit of Lille forward Nicolas Pepe in the January transfer window.
Emery had not been planning to make any new signings until the summer.
But Welbeck’s injury means that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette are now the only available senior strikers.
And with both of those players starting in Arsenal’s strongest team, that leaves only teenage rookie Eddie Nketiah on stand-by.
Nketiah, 19, has never started a senior game for Arsenal and has not featured at all under Emery.
The Londoner did manage ten substitute appearances for Arsene Wenger last season but has completed just 17 minutes of Premier League action so far.
With Arsenal fighting to secure a top-four finish and harbouring serious ambitions of winning the Europa League and Carabao Cup, Emery knows he will need more threat up front.
Head of recruitment Sven Mislintat has been keeping a close eye on Ivorian international Pepe, who has scored nine goals for French title contenders Lille this season.
But with Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund also keen on the forward, 23, he is not going to come cheaply.
Arsenal have not budgeted for any major signings in the New Year and have now been forced to abandon the idea of selling Welbeck before he becomes a free agent in the summer.
But they do not want to damage the momentum created by Emery and will provide the funds for another striker if the manager deems it necessary.
Welbeck has already missed more than 18 months of football with a knee injury since joining Arsenal in a £16m move from Manchester United in 2014.
The England striker has netted 32 goals in 126 games for the Gunners, with 48 of those appearances coming off the bench.
Welbeck’s latest setback has devastated his team-mates.
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Defender Rob Holding said: “Danny has been so unlucky with injuries over the past years but he’s a good character and he has a good set of lads around him.
“So we’ll lift him up and get him back as soon as we can. He can come back strong.”
A host of past and present colleagues have tweeted messages of support including Mesut Ozil, Lacazette, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Matteo Guendouzi, Santi Cazorla, Kyle Walker, Jesse Lingard and Nani.
Stephan Lichtsteiner is also out of tomorrow’s home game against Wolves with a hamstring strain.