There is an excitement with the remainder of the Premier League season proving so unpredictable but equally as mysterious is who Arsenal will sign to replace their outgoing strikers.
Arsenal have already lost Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang plus Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah will soon follow suit with their contracts expiring at the end of the season. Only Folarin Balogun will remain as a senior striking option.
It, therefore, makes sense that two strikers would be targeted in the summer that football.london understands Stan Kroenke is preparing for a serious amount of spending to take the club to that next level supporters have been waiting for.
However, what is interesting about a number of profiles that have been linked to Arsenal is the systems they currently ply their trade.
The most recent link has been Joao Felix of Atletico Madrid. Fresh from scoring in the 1-1 Champions League Round of 16 tie with Manchester United, the Portuguese’s struggles to consistently fit into Diego Simeone's plans have seen suggestions the club are willing to cash in.
According to El Chiringuito, via Sport Witness, Joao Felix is one of the names considered by Arsenal as an alternative for the failed pursuit of Dusan Vlahovic.
Arsenal have also been linked to Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez and Lille’s Jonathan David.
What David, Lautaro and Felix all share in common is their diminutive build and low centre of gravity. Their technical skill on the ball is aided by their smaller frames and all provide plenty of energy to their side’s front lines.
Yet, the key shared trait is that they all have played in a dual striker system. Either a 3-5-2 formation in the case of Inter and Atleti or a 4-4-2 for Lille.
David has often played with Burak Yilmaz whilst Felix has been paired with Luis Suarez and Angel Correa. Lastly, Lautaro has been partnering Alexis Sanchez and Edin Dzeko.
Were Arsenal to sign any of the aforementioned trio, they would need to either transition to a sole number nine role, or it could hint towards a formation change for Mikel Arteta.
Considering Arsenal are likely to be in the market for two strikers, there is no reason why Arteta couldn’t be thinking of a change. Although, that being said, the Spaniard has been outspoken in the past about his preference to play 4-3-3.
The recent switch to 4-3-3 with Martin Odegaard, Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey forming a more consolidated group, could allow for an easier transition to 4-4-2 or 3-5-2.
With the number ten position seemingly obsolete, Odegaard could operate alongside another central midfielder to give Arsenal greater attacking potential.
This is all theory right now, but the strikers that Arsenal are supposedly looking at has caused debate about how Mikel Arteta plans on shaping the side for the 2022/23 season.
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