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Arsenal will have to fight off Europe's elite if they're to secure one of their premier striker transfer targets this summer.
It was around this time last year when the Gunners' rampant mood in front of goal started to facilitate talk regarding a shift in upcoming transfer plans. Supporters were adamant that a new number nine was required to move Mikel Arteta's project along in the new year, but Kai Havertz's impressive scoring run while functioning as Arsenal's leading man up top planted a few seeds.
And once the club's primary target opted to stay put in Leipzig, there was no talk of a fresh striker option emerging in north London despite the sales of Eddie Nketiah and Folarin Balogun.
Havertz's stellar end to the season meant we just about stomached the inactivity, but it didn't take long for familiar clamouring to re-emerge. After a rather frustrating first half to 2024/25 which was capped off by significant injuries to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, bolstering the frontline was regarded as a formality in January - especially given the club's expectations this term.
But, as we know, inactivity was preferred. We're now subject to tiresome discourse weekly regarding Arsenal's [insert attacking issue here]. While hindered by misfortune, the Gunners have shot themselves in the foot. Barring an unlikely ascent to Champions League glory, a highly-anticipated 2024/25 season is poised to end in the absence of silverware.
The upcoming summer transfer window looks set to make or break the threatening-to-stagnate Arteta project.
Arsenal will have to fight off Europe's elite to sign premier striker targets
Arsenal have a lot of work to do this summer. Before we can get into the fun stuff, Arteta must first ensure his quota of full-back additions is met. In all seriousness, I wouldn't mind shifting Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior to sign Ajax's Jorrel Hato.
The engine room needs a make over with Jorginho and Thomas Partey set to depart as free agents, but we all know where the pressure point lies. The Gunners need stars in attack. Many of their final third issues this season would've been relieved if they boasted superior talent. Arsenal should've upgraded upon their current options last summer, now they require a revolution.
We should be looking at explosive options in wide areas, but securing our number nine for the long haul is priority number one. Benjamin Sesko has been on the club's radar for years, and Arsenal, if he's the man they want, can trigger a fairly hefty release clause to bring him to north London without much fuss. However, Barcelona are starting to emerge as an option for the Slovenian star despite their monetary issues as they search for a Robert Lewandowski successor. The trigger-happy Chelsea are also sniffing around, and INEOS are keen on acquiring a new centre-forward having "inherited" Rasmus Hojlund.
Sesko is hugely talented but more of a project forward. He might not be the guy to catapult Arsenal to glory right away, and that's why a growingly impatient fanbase is keen on signing the finished product. Alexander Isak is the utopia.
The Newcastle striker is outstanding; the sort of forward capable of transforming a blunt attack. His ball-striking is devastating, the channel-running is as elegant as it is destructive, and he can manipulate low blocks via sharp footwork and impressive agility. If the Magpies miss out on the Champions League, Arsenal might have a chance. He'll cost a fortune no matter how the season plays out on Tyneside, but he's the superstar worth breaking the bank for. We've seen the Swede torture us on three occasions this season.
Incoming sporting director Andrea Berta has experience negotiating mammoth deals involving centre-forwards, and one of his first tasks will be correctly identifying the optimal striker target this summer in tandem with Arteta. If it is Isak, the club must move swiftly before Liverpool start getting any ideas. The Reds' links with Isak are starting to become worryingly prominent.