Arsenal's plans for a busy summer transfer window are already in full swing.
In fact, it began in earnest during the January window with Colorado Rapids defender Auston Trusty signing on deadline day before being loaned back to the Major League Soccer (MLS) side for the remainder of the season.
Meanwhile, with Bernd Leno expected to leave in the summer in the search for regular first-team football, Matt Turner will replace him as the Arsenal number two goalkeeper, following confirmation from New England Revolution that the 27-year-old's move across the Atlantic is done.
Although as reported by football.london, the Gunners will look to confirm the deal in June when Turner flies over to complete a medical, thus making him the club's first signing of the summer transfer window.
And fans have been given a reason to look forward to at least three more signings as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his first-team squad ahead of the 2022/23 season.
As revealed by football.london last week, the three priority positions for the Arsenal manager and technical director Edu this summer will be at right-back, central midfield and centre-forward.
The latter position should come as no surprise, especially if Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah leave when their contracts expire at the end of the season.
With that said, former Arsenal striker Jeremie Aliadiere thinks the calibre of striker Arteta and Edu will be able to attract is ultimately dependent on Champions League football being on the table come the summer.
"We’re going to need some strikers. We’re going to need someone who’s a number nine, somebody that plays up front," Aliadiere told BonusCodeBets.
"As much as I love (Alexandre) Lacazette, obviously he’s been on his own lately with the departure of (Pierre-Emerick) Aubameyang. Lacazette might end up leaving as well.
"So we definitely need to attract some players and buy some players up front.
"It’s all going to depend on Champions League football. If you do, big monies come in, players just think you know, 'I’ll go to Arsenal now, play Champions League football'."
"If you don’t, then it’s obviously a different kind of player you can attract. It’s all related to this."
The good news is that following the 3-2 win over Watford on Sunday, Arsenal sit fourth in the Premier League table and are therefore on course to met the one demand that increases their chances of signing a top class striker.
But who would be the perfect signing for the north London outfit?
Well, they've been linked with the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Gabriel Jesus, Joao Felix, Jonathan David, Luka Jovic, Lautaro Martinez and, perhaps more surprisingly, Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski.
Although, Aliadiere believes Alexander Isak is the striker his former club should pursue, highlighting how he could be the ideal replacement for Lacazette.
"For me Alexander Isak seems like a really good buy. I like his style. I think we need somebody that runs behind the defender, makes runs behind," he added. "Arsenal have always been that kind of club that has a striker that makes runs behind, stretch the opposition.
"And so far, as much as I love Lacazette, that’s not his game. That’s what we had Aubameyang to do.
"Lacazette is more of a ‘come-and-get-involved in the play’, a little number nine-and-a-half, ten, you know, role.
"A striker who makes runs, who stretches the defence, that is what we need and I think Isak offers that. He does that.
"He’s still very young, got a lot of energy and I think in that team with a manager like Arteta, who’s still very young, you would not want very, very experienced players that might have a bit of an ego.
"I think getting younger players that are still proven, still very good players, I think that’s the way forward for the club."
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Isak has long been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium and is one of Arteta and Edu's three main striker targets for the summer alongside Calvert-Lewin and David.
But signing the Sweden international this summer could prove difficult for at least two reasons.
One being, as per Daily Mail, that Isak is on Manchester United's transfer wish list and the other centres around their reluctance to trigger his reported £75m release clause.
So, unless Real Sociedad are willing to negotiate which allows Arsenal to drive the price down, they'll have to activate his release clause to sign a player whom Aliadiere has recommended.
