Dusan Vlahovic and Erling Haaland have emerged as two of the hottest goalscoring properties in world football over recent seasons.
The former has caught the headlines with a number of exhilarating showings for Italian outfit Fiorentina, whilst the latter’s ability to find the net has hit new levels with Borussia Dortmund since his arrival from Red Bull Salzburg.
It is fair to say then that there is an aura of excitement at Arsenal, with the Gunners being strongly linked with a move for Vlahovic before the end of the January transfer window.
Should they complete a deal, Mikel Arteta would be adding a much-needed forward option to his squad, whilst also acquiring the services of a player predicted to be at the top level of the game alongside Haaland for many years to come.
FK Partizan director Ivica Iliev has predicted just as much, having seen the young striker kick-off his career with the Serbian outfit.
Talking with The Mirror, he said: "I always watch him and think [he's like] Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, maybe now in this moment Haaland is stronger physically but believe me, technically Vlahovic is the better player.
"He can play like a second striker; you have more options with him than with Haaland and these two players will be head-to-head until the end of their careers."
Even Vlahovic, at the tender age of just 21, is predicting an intense battle between the two.
Speaking with DAZN, he said: "He is faster than me. But for the rest, we compete."
Severe competition at the top end of the game would not be too dissimilar to that of the rivalry witnessed between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi over the past 15 years. With the pair edging towards the twilight of their careers, however, thoughts have already turned to successors who could carry their frankly ridiculous mantels - those men could potentially be Vlahovic and Haaland.
With the potential of each being among the best players in the world, Arsenal will certainly be desperate to have one of those on their books - especially after missing out on the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United.
Speaking earlier this year, former Arsenal boss revealed how close the Gunners were to securing the signature of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
He said: "He played at Man United in 2004, and he’s one of the players I regret not to have signed because we were very close."
The opportunity of signing Ronaldo has certainly passed but Arsenal could rectify that major error with a move for one of the hottest properties in world football, and a player who could well challenge the very best for years to come.
