Arsenal: 3 ways front three can look next season

2. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leaves

Of the pair, Aubameyang is the more likely to depart. He has one year less on his contract, is two years older, and despite his greater goalscoring record and importance to the team, has stalled on contract negotiations and might force his way out of the club.

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That would open up the inverted left-wing position. Lacazette would continue as the centre-forward, Pepe remains on the right flank, while Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and maybe even Reiss Nelson would battle for the starting role on the opposite flank.

Of the three, Martinelli is the most similar to Aubameyang. He is a striker-turned-winger who is supremely dangerous in the penalty area, is electric with and without the ball, and is always making runs that put him into goalscoring positions. There is a reason he is the club’s second-highest scorer in all competitions despite having arrived as an 18-year-old from the fourth tier of Brazilian football in the summer.

Saka is the most complete, however, and the consistency and reliability of his performances at left-back prove his readiness, despite his youth. With Kieran Tierney now back and fit, Saka will be freed up to play further forward. He could yet inherit Aubameyang’s left-wing role, too. Nelson, meanwhile, will likely offer depth on both sides.