With the international break in full swing, Premier League clubs have been taking this opportunity to look ahead to the summer as they aim to finalise their list of transfer targets. We know one area Arsenal will be keen to strengthen is their attack as they aim to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - who departed in January - as well as Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette, who will leave for free at the end of the season.
Of that group, it’s the latter who’ll arguably leave the biggest void and replacing the Frenchman will be a priority. That’s one of the reasons why the Gunners are said to be interested in Juventus star Paulo Dybala.
The Argentine attacker is set to end a seven-year spell in Turin at the end of the season with his contract due to expire. A number of big European clubs are interested, meaning competition for his signature would be fierce and signing him wouldn’t be an easy task.
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Interestingly though, there could be a surprise alternative closer to home for Arsenal to target instead, and he’s a player Mikel Arteta’s men know very well. Liverpool's Roberto Firmino. The Brazilian international is regarded as one of the best attacking players in the Premier League, and Arsenal fans won’t need reminding of his abilities with his exquisite finish at the Emirates Stadium only one week ago fresh in the memory.
A rival signing such talent from one of the best teams in the country would usually prove near impossible. However, Arsenal may be able to profit from the fact that the 30-year-old will head into the final year of his current deal at the end of this season, and there’s been no talk of an extension amid the signings of Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz in the last two years to add competition to Liverpool's attack.
There have been rumours about other attacking stars such as Mohamed Salah, whose contract is due to expire at the same time, indicating that the Merseysiders could be willing to let Firmino leave at the end of this current deal. Therefore, if Arsenal were to put forward an attractive offer, Liverpool may opt to cash in as this would be their final opportunity in which to do so.
From an Arsenal point of view, there are plenty of reasons why they should make a move. Firstly due to his contract situation, they’d still almost certainly be able to land him on a better deal than what it would cost normally to secure someone of Firmino’s ability.
Furthermore, he remains a top player who could not only fill the void left by Lacazette but arguably bring even more to the table. The forward is a capable goalscorer and has netted an impressive 96 goals since arriving at Anfield in 2015. However, he’s often been most revered by Liverpool fans for his creative capabilities.
On top of that impressive goal return, he’s recorded an additional 73 assists. That’s a fine return, but it doesn’t capture all of the creative influence he brings. This is because a lot of his best work usually comes much earlier in attacking moves where he will drop into gaps in between the lines and be a key role in linking Liverpool’s scintillating attacking play.
Those who watch him every week would brand his role as something like an advanced pivot. At Arsenal, Lacazette tends to do something similar, although it wouldn’t be unfair to say that Firmino would have the potential to do it better, making him the perfect replacement.
