Who will Arsenal sign after missing out on Vinicius Jr?

That is the question for Arsenal and in particular Andrea Berta and Mikel Arteta in the final weeks of the transfer market.The club went into the summer determined to strengthen the left side of their attacking, believing more individual quality in the final third was needed to go to the next level.Christos Tzolis has been brought in to replace Leandro Trossard, but otherwise it has been a fairly frustrating window for Arsenal in that area of the pitch.Arsenal would have been interested in Anthony Gordon had he not joined Barcelona. Morgan Rogers was the top target but the club were reluctant to meet Aston Villa's valuation and were outbid by Chelsea.The focus then shifted to Vinicius Jr and Arsenal were willing to put together a huge financial package to land him. However, he opted to stay at Real Madrid as always appeared most likely.With Yan Diomande joining Real Madrid and Junior Kroupi out for months with a foot injury, the pool of options has shrunk significantly. Here are five options Arsenal could turn to before the window shuts...Julian AlvarezPAJulian AlvarezWith options for a marquee signing out wide becoming increasingly limited, Arsenal might have to shift their focus.Arteta could be tempted to use Eberechi Eze more as a left winger this season, particularly if Ethan Nwaneri is kept in the squad to provide competition for Martin Odegaard.That would bolster the left wing and Arsenal might then instead look to bring in a striker. Viktor Gyokeres still does not look a natural fit for this Arsenal side and that does feel like a position the Gunners could upgrade on.Julian Alvarez would be the dream signing. Berta and Arteta would both love to bring Alvarez to north London but there is an acceptance that it is an incredibly hard deal to do.Atletico Madrid continue to insist they will not sell to Barcelona, though joining Hansi Flick’s side remains Alvarez's priority.Read MoreWhile Atletico might be more open to Alvarez joining a club abroad, it would still take an enormous fee.Nico WilliamsAFP/GettyNico WilliamsArsenal finding themselves linked with Nico Williams is an annual tradition, with the club keeping tabs on him for several years.He would add pace to the Arsenal attack and more of a direct running threat in constantly taking his man on.However, as Arsenal know from their previous pursuit of him, Williams is on huge wages at Athletic Bilbao.He is also contracted through to 2035 after signing a ten-year deal last summer.In a statement announcing that, Athletic Bilbao confirmed that Williams' release clause had been increased by more than 50%. It is believed that the figure is now just under £80m.That is a significant price for a winger who has never scored more than six league goals in a top-flight season.Kenan YildizAFP/GettyKenan YildizArsenal enquired about the availability of Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz earlier this summer.He has the versatility that Arteta admires across the forward line and would add real creativity to Arsenal's options out wide.Juventus made it clear that the 21-year-old is not for sale and the Gunners moved on to other targets.It is also only six months since Yildiz signed a new contract with the Italian club, committing his future until 2030.There have been suggestions, though, that Arsenal could again turn their attention to Yildiz to try and test Juventus' resolve.However, Juventus remain adamant he will not be sold this summer. Continuing to pursue him would risk Arsenal ending up at another dead end.Bradley BarcolaAFP/GettyBradley BarcolaPSG winger Bradley Barcola has been on Arsenal's shortlist all summer, though they have been prioritising other targets.The Frenchman's contract expires in 2028 and if no new deal is agreed, PSG could decide to cash in this summer.However, there is an obvious problem for Arsenal. PSG are understood to value Barcola at around £145m.The Gunners have been disciplined with their price tags for players this summer, walking away when the figures quoted have not matched their own valuations.That figure for Barcola is well beyond what Arsenal would be willing to pay, even if he is admired.Liverpool are also keen on Barcola and have held more talks with PSG, but they too have no plans to match the asking price.Iliman NdiayeAFP/GettyIliman NdiayeArteta places real value on signing players with Premier League experience.Bruno Guimaraes has been brought in this summer. Eberechi Eze, David Raya, Declan Rice and Ben White are among those to have also been signed from other English clubs in recent seasons.That preference could lead to Iliman Ndiaye emerging as a serious option for Arsenal this summer. The club hold interest in the Everton winger and have been monitoring him but are yet to make an approach.Ndiaye would provide that extra threat with the ball at his feet. Only Jeremy Doku completed more dribbles in the Premier League last season.He works incredibly hard too. Per Opta stats for the 2025-26 campaign, Bukayo Saka was the only player to win the ball back in the opposition's final third more often than Ndiaye.Al-Hilal are said to be pushing to sign the 26-year-old. However, a move to Arsenal is one Ndiaye would surely be keen on and he would be cheaper than many of the other names on the Gunners’ shortlist.