After five years, gone are the days of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette wearing the famous red and white as Arsenal search for a new striker to complete their fresh looking frontline ahead of next season.
The club's decision to head into the final stages of the 2021/22 campaign with two strikers who had been far from convincing ultimately backfired, but now the season has finished and Lacazette has left, Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu are attempting to close in on reinforcements.
There were initial concerns that more than one new forward would be required as Eddie Nketiah's future was up in the air. However, The Athletic state that he is now set to stay after agreeing to a new contract. The 22-year-old finished the season off strongly, scoring five goals in his last seven league appearances, but a lack of game time was leaving him frustrated.
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Despite this, a lot has changed in the striker department over the last six months and now increased opportunities are expected to arrive for Nketiah, subsequently leading to a change in stance. His potential stay would relieve some of the pressure off Arteta and Edu, who are now evaluating options.
Meanwhile, Premier League big guns Manchester City and Liverpool are attempting to strengthen even further as they bolster their own attacks, showing Arsenal what they must do in order to have any hope of catching them up in the future.
Pep Guardiola has already secured one of the hottest prospects in the world in Erling Haaland for £51million (plus huge fees and wages), Jurgen Klopp on the other hand is looking to acquire another superstar with the reds reportedly showing interest in Benfica's £85million-rated Darwin Nunez. If a deal is reached, it could see both teams spending a combined £136million on new forwards.
These may be costly investments, but they are ones which will no doubt continue to raise the bar at their respective clubs and it's something Arteta is also keen for Arsenal to do this summer. The Spaniard has often touched on his desire to return the Gunners to the Champions League, compete against the best in the game and close the gap on those around them.
Gabriel Jesus and Sassuolo's Gianluca Scamacca appear to be two leading candidates for Arsenal according to various reports, as they hope to land a big-name signing of their own. Neither player will come cheaply, but if Arteta is serious about matching his ambitions for this club, there's little choice but to pay the big bucks as City and Liverpool have shown.
