Five players Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta could sign to replace injured striker Gabriel Jesus

Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus has had surgery on a knee injury suffered at the World Cup, leaving Gunners boss Mikel Arteta with a selection problem to deal with.

The Brazil star picked up the injury during Selecao's final group game against Cameroon, suffering medical collateral ligament (MCL) damage.

He is set to miss several months of action, meaning Arsenal will need to find a replacement for when their domestic campaign gets back underway on Boxing Day.

That could come from within, with backup striker Eddie Nketiah likely to get the nod for their Premier League clash against West Ham. In addition, reports claim that the club are considering recalling Folarin Balogun from his loan at Ligue 1 side Rennes, although Fabrizio Romano says that no discussions have taken place between club and player.

Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe, meanwhile, can also feature as centre forwards.

But depending on the full severity of the injury suffered by Jesus, Arsenal might look to the transfer market to get them through to the end of the season.

Here are five players they could target:

Cody Gakpo (PSV Eindhoven)

Cody Gakpo has been heavily linked to Manchester United over recent months. The Red Devils had a bid rejected for the left-sided forward in the summer, and the 23-year-old admitted he held personal talks with United boss Erik ten Hag.

It was claimed in October that the Gunners were keen on signing Gakpo - and they will have been impressed by his three-goal haul at the World Cup for Netherlands.

Memphis Depay (Barcelona)

A more likely signing for Arsenal may be Memphis Depay, with Barcelona seemingly keen on selling the Dutch striker in January.

Spanish outlet Sport claim that Barca value the striker at just £1.7 million. He netted 13 goals in all competitions for the club last season, but now looks set to move on as the Spanish giants try to cut their wage bill. Arsenal could be the beneficiaries.

Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid)

Another option for Arsenal could be Joao Felix, with Fabrizio Romano claiming the forward would be 'open' to leaving Atletico Madrid.

It has been reported, however, that the Spanish club are looking to recoup a significant amount of the £113 million fee they paid to sign him from Benfica in 2019.

Therefore, it may be that a loan deal is on the cards for Arteta's side - but that could suit them perfectly to cover for Jesus' absence.

Victor Osimhen (Napoli)

Arsenal actually made an €80 million offer for Victor Osimhen in the summer, according to Italian TV station Canale21 (as per AreaNapoli), but it was turned down by Napoli.

Instead, the Nigeria international signed a new contract at his current club. But links to a move away have persisted, and Arsenal could try and test Napoli's resolve once again in January with another offer.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Free Agent)

This is certainly more of a left-field option than the others, and is probably the most unlikely, but Arsenal could attempt to bring Cristiano Ronaldo to the Emirates Stadium.

Given Ronaldo has now left Manchester United, this would be a free transfer, although you would expect agent and sign-on fees to be huge.

If the Gunners want a striker that is a proven goalscorer in the Premier League, they could look no further than Ronaldo. And the Portugal legend has already said he would be 'happy' to see Arsenal win the Premier League in his interview with Piers Morgan.

But the move would be controversial, there are question marks over whether the 37-year-old is what Arsenal need, and his wages would likely be very high.