Arsenal receive official verdict on January striker deal

Arsenal will not be adding to their forward ranks this month, as reported by Arsenal youth journalist Jeorge Bird.

The Gunners have been chasing Blackburn Rovers striker Igor Tyjon for months now, but it appears that the Premier League leaders will have to wait until the summer to complete a deal.

Tyjon’s contract expires at the end of the season, and Aston Villa are also in for the player.

The 17-year-old has scored four goals in five Premier League 2 matches this season.

He notably scored a penalty and assisted his team’s other goal in a 2-0 win over Manchester City U21s in October.

Tyjon joined England’s U17 squad at the U17 World Cup in November, but he was an unused substitute in all five matches.

The England youth international also scored a brace against Leicester City U21s in a 3-3 draw in September.

Toward the end of the 2024/25 season, Tyjon began appearing on Blackburn’s substitutes bench in the Championship, although he only made a five-minute cameo against Sunderland in April 2025.

He played 63 minutes in the League Cup’s first round this season, where his club lost 2-1 to Bradford City.

What makes Arsenal want Tyjon?

Tyjon is a technically gifted forward, which is a player profile Arsenal admire.

While he stands at just 5ft 6in, Tyjon’s talent on the ball sets him apart from his peers.

The Blackburn product can beat defenders with skill, and he can also find space in the box to finish.

He can also play behind a No. 9 as an attacking midfielder, and he uses his vision to find the right pass and put his teammates in dangerous positions.

With Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri already on Arsenal’s books, the addition of Tyjon could set the club up well in the forward positions for the foreseeable future.