Although Arsenal still have a lot to play for in the current Premier League campaign, it's hard not to look ahead to the summer.
Mikel Arteta's ambitious rebuilding project at the club has really started to chug along this term - so much so that the Gunners have a real shot at ending their five-year exile from the Champions League.
But make no mistake, if the Gunners do clinch a top four finish, they've truly gotten away with one after a massively uninspiring January transfer window.
Their extensive search for a top striker is set to rollover into the summer - but the Gunners may have been given a timely boost in that respect.
According to reports in Italy, Lautaro Martinez could be back on the market in the summer.
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Arsenal were sniffing around the Inter Milan star last summer before Romelu Lukaku's mega-money return to Chelsea put the brakes on any hopes they had of luring Martinez to London.
But the Argentine hitman could finally be on the move at the end of the season - and he's already received a glowing endorsement from Lionel Messi, his partner in crime for the national side.
Messi, who is widely acknowledged as the best player in the world, believes that Martinez is a "complete" striker.
Messi previously said: "He's spectacular. He has impressive qualities. You could tell he was going to be a great player and he is showing that.
“He’s very strong, really good one on one, scores a lot of goals and in the area he fights with anyone, holds it up, he can turn, scrap to win it all on his own. He has a lot of quality. He’s very complete.”
While Martinez isn't exactly a new name on Arsenal's radar, Messi's seal of approval shouldn't be underestimated given Arteta's recent transfer vow.
Arteta declared earlier this month that Arsenal were only interested in pursuing deals for "the best players" - and Martinez definitely fits the bill.
The Gunners forked out a whopping £150million to reassemble their squad last summer - meaning there was no chance they could meet Inter's extortionate £77m asking price.
But Arsenal should be in a better position to splash the cash on Martinez at the end of the season given that sourcing an elite striker is their prime priority ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
Reports in Italy claimed this week that Inter are open to cashing in on Martinez in the summer - just 12 months after they dug their heels in over the ex-Racing Club ace.
The new contract that Martinez penned in the wake of Arsenal's interest last summer, tying him to the Italian outfit until 2026, shouldn't prevent a deal being struck if the Gunners are prepared to stump up the cash.
On paper, Martinez has all the necessary attributes to become the final piece in Arteta's jigsaw to enable Arsenal to finally mix it up in the upper echelons of the Premier League once again.
After netting 17 league goals during Inter's title-winning campaign last year, Martinez has plundered 11 goals in 22 Serie A games this term - although he has blanked in his seven appearances in the Champions League.
But that shouldn't deter Arsenal; stumping up the cash for Martinez is a no-brainer if Inter are willing to play ball.
The Emirates hierarchy have already shown that the cash is there for a marquee signing with their fruitless pursuit of Vlahovic last month.
Martinez has the goalscoring pedigree that Arteta craves, and reports suggested that he was even happy to join the Gunners last year if a deal could be struck - indicating that the prospects of a summer move may not even hinge on Arsenal qualifying for Europe's premier competition.
Snapping up Martinez would soon see people forget about the club's fruitless endeavours in the January window - and Messi's brazen "complete" claim over his goalscoring compatriot should be all the convincing that Arsenal need to finally get the deal done.
