Assessing five strikers on Arsenal’s shortlist

It’s no secret that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta needs to bolster his attacking choices this summer season with earlier membership captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang having left in January and Alex Lacazette quickly to comply with.

23-year-old Englishman Eddie Nketiah is on the verge of agreeing to a profitable new three-year-deal on the Emirates Stadium, reward for the purple patch he hit within the latter levels of the 2021–22 marketing campaign, and this would possibly effectively be a proactive transfer by Arsenal to guard any future switch worth. Nketiah’s haul of 5 targets in Arsenal’s final seven Premier League matches wasn’t fairly sufficient to fireplace the Gunners into subsequent season’s Champions League, nevertheless, so a brand new cavalry will probably be wanted if Arsenal is to enhance on its comparatively paltry complete of 61 targets scored from 38 league outings final time period.

Arteta has been on the helm since late 2019 and, extremely, he’s but to signal a striker. That actually appears to be like set to vary. Let’s take a short have a look at 5 sharp shooters on Arsenal’s shortlist, with the membership extensively anticipated to signal a minimum of two high-profile attackers between now and the tip of August.

Gabriel Jesus

Pep Guardiola has referred to as 25-year-old Brazilian Gabriel Jesus “one of the best urgent ahead in world soccer” and his relentlessness when defending from the entrance is a high quality that Arteta particularly loves. Some pundits have criticized his strike-rate on the elite stage, however 95 targets in 236 appearances throughout all competitions for the English champions isn’t precisely shabby.

With Norwegian celebrity Erling Haaland and Argentinian prospect Julián Álvarez each touchdown in Manchester quickly, Jesus’ alternatives within the first-team are about to turn into much more restricted. His contract is about to run out in 2023, too, however Arsenal will nonetheless should fork out a substantial payment for a participant of Jesus’ calibre and expertise.

Tammy Abraham

It’s uncommon to to see Englishmen thriving exterior of the English Premier League, however that’s precisely what Tammy Abraham has been doing since swapping London for Rome. Abraham’s profession has taken off within the Italian capital. He plundered 17 strikes in Serie A final time period, the best single-season tally of targets by an Englishman in Italian top-flight historical past, and likewise performed his half of their Europa Convention League win, Roma’s first piece of silverware in 14 years.

It’s understood that Chelsea has an €80m buy-back clause although, so the Gunners would possibly want t exceed that determine if they’re to land the pacy, highly effective 24-year-old. Arsenal’s curiosity in Abraham is well-documented although and it isn’t going away.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Everton’s quantity 9 is one other Englishman with loads of Premier League expertise, however any transfer for the 25-year-old would have loads of danger connected to it. DCL had a season to overlook in 2021–22 with most of it blighted by accidents and inconsistency with Everton scrapping for his or her lives on the foot of the desk.

What Calvert-Lewin does provide, although, is one thing completely totally different to what Arsenal presently has at their disposal. DCL is a poacher who possesses a substantial aerial presence and an underrated means to knit the play collectively on the bottom. Calvert-Lewin would additionally provide Arsenal a “Plan B” when they should go a bit extra direct. Arsenal’s Plan A was non-existent within the final three matches of the season they usually seemed bereft of options. DCL wouldn’t come low-cost, no English gamers transferring inside England do, but it surely is likely to be a danger price contemplating.

Lautaro Martínez 

Proficient Argentine Lautaro Martínez has made himself an indispensable member of Inter Milan’s assault along with his excellent ball-carrying means and knack for scoring huge targets in huge video games. With 20 targets in 38 appearances for Copa América and Finalissima winners Argentina, he’s additionally proving his price on the worldwide stage.

In some ways, Lautaro is a throwback to former Arsenal fan favorite Alexis Sánchez, a disruptive dribbler who took dangers and precipitated mayhem in opposition defenses. At 24, Lautaro remains to be far off his peak years, and that’s an thrilling prospect for anyone making a transfer for a participant that’s set to turn into among the best strikers on this planet.

Victor Osimhen

Napoli and Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen is understood for his rangy operating of the channels, dribbling and ball-carrying means and protracted urgent, that means that his profile makes him a possible dream come true for Mikel Arteta. He did price Napoli €75m although, and on the belief that they wouldn’t wish to make a loss on the deal, the 23-year-old ex-Lille man wouldn’t come low-cost. Offers for Martínez and Osimhen can be troublesome to drag off with out the carrot of Champions League soccer to dangle in entrance of their noses, however Gooners can dream.

From this six-man shortlist it’s abundantly clear that Arsenal is on the hunt for strikers that supply a bodily presence, whether or not that’s aerially or in Mikel Arteta’s urgent system, and approaching the height of their powers. Who is aware of? Italy’s Serie A would possibly effectively be the breeding floor for Arsenal’s subsequent quantity 9.