Gunners are said to be desperate to add more firepower to their attack at the Emirates going forward.
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Arsenal are reportedly set to step up their interest in former Manchester United striker Giuseppe Rossi this January, with the in-form Fiorentina man impressing Arsene Wenger with his recent performances.
It is an open secret at the Emirates that the Arsenal boss is on the look-out for a new forward to provide both cover, as well as some much-needed competition up front, for current first-choice marksman Olivier Giroud.
The France international is doing a fine job leading the line by himself at present for the Gunners, with Giroud having already managed to find the back of the net on seven occasions in total in just 13 matches in all competitions for Arsenal so far this season, including four strikes in his eight Premier League contests for the club.
However, Wenger is understood to be concerned that were his one and only out-and-out attacker to get injured, or lose form in front of goal, then the north Londoners’ push for a first piece of silverware for eight years could be badly damaged.
The Gunners are currently leading the Premier League by two points from both Chelsea and Liverpool after the opening eight matches of the campaign, but with a thin first-team squad, the Frenchman knows that he must dip into the transfer market once again come the turn of the year, with his main focus being on strengthening his forward line.
As a result, Wenger is believed to have already drawn up a short list of possible striking targets for chief executive Ivan Gazidis to go after in the winter window, with the name of the Fiorentina front-man believed to be at the head of the pile.
The diminutive Italy international only joined La Viola back in January, with Rossi moving from La Liga outfit Villarreal on a four-year deal for £8.5m.
And already in his short time in Florence, Rossi has proved himself to be a huge hit with the Fiorentina fans, as well as a player with a real eye for goal.
So far this season, the 26-year-old has registered an impressive nine goals and two assists in just ten matches in all competitions, a run that also includes eight strikes and one assist in eight Serie A contests.
Those eye-catching attacking numbers also feature Rossi’s stunning hat-trick that helped Fiorentina beat arch-rivals Juventus 4-2 in the league last weekend, with the American-born striker’s treble coming in just 14 minutes as the Italian champions were beaten for the first time this season.
And it is that real nose for goal that is what has attracted Wenger towards Rossi, a forward who has found the back of the net at every club that he has played for in his eight-year playing career.
Not only that, but the Gunners boss also knows that the Italian has experience of the Premier League too, having played for both Manchester United and on loan for Newcastle as a youngster.
Rossi moved to Old Trafford back in 2005 and spent just two years in the north west under previous Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson, and despite managing to impress on the rare occasions that the Scot gave him a run-out in the first team, the attacker was still shipped out to the Magpies in January 2006.
However, when Rossi was eventually sold to Spanish side Villarreal in July 2007, he left England having recorded a respectable four goals and four assists in his 14 matches in all competitions for United.
But it was during his time spent with the ‘Yellow Submarine’ that Rossi really took his game on to another level, with the player proving himself to be one of the continent’s most deadly and prolific front-men after contributing 82 goals and 27 assists for Villarreal in just 192 games.
All of which has now led Wenger to make his interest in Rossi be known to his Italian employers, although with a contract in Florence that runs until 2017, the Arsenal manager knows that it is not going to be an easy task to lure the striker to the Emirates in January.
Not only that, but it has also been reported that Rossi has a whopping £30m buyout clause written into that deal, which will complicate any moves for a player that has been dubbed the ‘new Del Piero’ by many pundits in his homeland.
Either way, it is understood that the Gunners are prepared to test Fiorentina’s resolve to keep hold of their star man in the new year by lodging a big-money offer with the Serie A side for their in-form attacker.