If it wasn’t already, Arsenal’s summer transfer priority is now even clearer after the January transfer window.
Put simply, the Gunners need attacking recruits ahead of the 2022/23 season and the search for them is likely going to start immediately.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has already waved goodbye to north London having completed a move to Spanish giants Barcelona, whilst Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah could be on the way out sooner rather than later.
football.london understands that the Frenchman is set to open pre-contract talks with former club Lyon with his contract set to expire at the end of the season. Meanwhile, Nketiah’s own deal concludes this season too - Bayer Leverkusen, Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion having all been linked.
Should both depart, that would see Arsenal without a senior recognised striker - Folarin Balgoun the only central option available to Mikel Arteta once he returns from his loan spell with Championship side Middlesbrough.
It goes without saying then that there will be investment in the Gunners’ attack, links to Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Alexander Isak having already emerged months in advance of the summer market re-opening.
Intriguingly, the situation is a very similar conundrum to that of what Arsene Wenger faced during his time at the Emirates Stadium.
Heading into the 2012/13 season, the Gunners’ forward options were once again extremely limited.
A lack of any real centre-forward in his squad - amid the departure of Robin van Persie to Manchester United - saw Wenger twice turn to the market with the acquisitions of Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud.
Whilst the two did endear themselves to supporters, they were not quite able to fill the prolific goal-scoring vacancy left-behind by the Dutchman.
Lacazette looked to be the ideal candidate as he joined five years later but the now-30-year-old has never quite managed to hit the heights he displayed in France.
It took until the arrival of Aubameyang in January 2018 for Arsenal to sign the prolific forward that they had been searching for - some six years after van Persie had elected to end his Arsenal career.
Arteta then will certainly hope that the search for his next forward does not go on for as long with the Gunners priority target now already decided.
