Unai Emery may not be at the club anymore, but that's not to say his Arsenal transfer targets shouldn't be pursued any longer.
The Spaniard made some questionable decisions during his time in north London, bringing in Stephan Lichtsteiner and Dennis Suarez to name a couple.
However, failing to sign Christopher Nkunku was perhaps his biggest transfer regret of all.
Viewed as an exciting talent, Nkunku played under Emery at Paris Saint-Germain where he caught the eye whilst mainly operating as a versatile midfielder.
According to a report by the Evening Standard in 2019, Emery was the main driving force behind the pursuit of the then 21-year-old and Arsenal were told they would have to pay £17.2m to land him.
Despite their efforts, an agreement was never found.
Later that year, Nkunku would go on to join Bundesliga side RB Leipzig for a reported fee of around £12m. Although the Gunners could have ended up paying an extra £5m for him, he certainly would have made it worthwhile.
Since joining Leipzig, Nkunku has become one of their most valuable assets. Scoring 37 goals as well as producing an impressive 40 assists, the former PSG starlet has developed into a standout talent in Europe.
Just this season alone, he has 25 goals and 13 assists to his name in 36 games across all competitions. For context, that's more goals scored than Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Dusan Vlahovic plus Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi combined.
Yep, you read that right. It is an incredible record that highlights his continuing progress.
Nkunku is playing most of his minutes from attacking midfield, but he has also been deployed as a second striker, wide midfielder and even as a centre forward.
With Mikel Arteta expected to significantly bolster his frontline in the summer, Leipzig's star man should be viewed as a serious candidate. The logistical side of the move may depend on Champions League qualification, but that applies to almost everything the club does this summer.
Now 24, Nkunku represents a perfect option for a team that thrives on exciting talent and versatility. Nicolas Pepe's uncertain future means a space on the wing may become free, while Edu must find a reliable source for goals after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's departure in January.
Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are also set to leave when their contracts expire at the end of the season, leaving plenty of room for Nkunku to thrive upfront.
Serie A side AS Roma are also expected to come back in for Granit Xhaka, football.london understands. This could mean that Arsenal have to increase numbers in the centre of midfield too, where again, Nkunku would nicely slot into.
Valued at £49.5m by Transfermarkt, Arsenal will have to splash much more than what they would have done a few years ago, but now they know it would all be for a world-class talent.
Follow our Arsenal Fan Brands Writer Chris Davison on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below. Make sure you have subscribed to The Arsenal Way and the Fan Brands team along with plenty of your football.london favourites will be producing daily Arsenal content for you to enjoy including match reactions, podcasts, football fun and interviews.
