Arsenal have only just closed one busy transfer window, but their next recruitment drive is already beginning to take shape.

The Premier League champions strengthened a squad which was already capable of fighting on every front. Bruno Guimarães and Ezri Konsa improved the spine of the side, while Christos Tzolis gave Mikel Arteta another attacking option.

That was serious business, yet Arsenal did not land every forward they considered. Their search was wide, ambitious and clearly built with more than one window in mind.

For example, BBC Sport’s Sami Mokbel said Kenan Yildiz and Nico Paz remain realistic targets for the future.

Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi is also expected to stay on Arsenal’s radar once he has recovered from a foot injury.

None of those looks like an easy January deal.

Juventus remain determined to keep Yildiz, while Paz only returned to Como after Real Madrid activated a buyback clause.

Bournemouth would also have little reason to lose Kroupi halfway through the campaign.

Arsenal appear to be keeping several routes open, and that is sensible, with PSG defender Willian Pacho also believed to be in their sights for 2027.

Sporting director Andrea Berta does not need to decide the club’s exact January priority in September, because injuries, form and their Champions League position could all change the picture before Christmas.

What already seems clear is that another versatile creator interests them.

Martin Ødegaard is still the first choice playmaker, while Eberechi Eze can move inside and Guimaraes offers control from deeper areas.

Even so, Arteta values players who can work in several positions and maintain the intensity of Arsenal’s press.

That makes Morgan Gibbs-White a fascinating name to watch.

Arsenal internally discussing January bid for Morgan Gibbs-White

According to Hooligan Soccer, Arsenal are one of four Premier League clubs internally discussing a winter move for the Nottingham Forest captain.

The report also claims Forest could listen if a package worth between £60 million and £70m arrived at their door, while it is believed that the Gunners view him as a 'seamless' fit for Arteta.

Forest are said to want a sell-on clause included in any agreement, making an already expensive move even harder to complete.

Why Morgan Gibbs-White could be a great signing for Arsenal

Gibbs-White would bring something different to the Emirates.

He can operate behind a striker, as an advanced midfielder or drift towards the right, and the Englishman is also comfortable carrying the ball forward to turn over play.

He wouldn't simply be an Odegaard copy either, as the 26-year-old is a more direct runner and could give Arsenal extre firepower in games where neat possession alone isn't enough.

His Premier League experience and homegrown status would add to the attraction, but Forest hold the stronger hand.

Gibbs-White’s contract runs until June 2028, leaving them under no immediate pressure to sell a hugely important player midway through the season.

The price and rival interest mean this is far from a straightforward January deal, yet Gibbs-White fits Arsenal’s preference for proven, flexible players, and their failure to secure every attacking target this summer gives the story potential logic.

For now, he is one of several options rather than the chosen one, but if Arsenal decide another creator is needed in January, Forest may have to test just how serious that interest really is.