Arsenal look set to sign a striker, if not in the January transfer window then next summer. But which striker will they go for?
The Gunners have been linked with plenty of different players in the past few transfer windows, with the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak and Benjamin Sesko chief among them.
Gabriel Jesus fired a hat-trick in the Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday night, reminding the supporters and Mikel Arteta what he is capable of. But it may well be too little, to late for the Brazilian.
Arsenal have scored 29 goals this season, but that is fewer than five other teams in the Premier League. Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz are the joint top scorers in the league with five goals.
A new marksman would surely transform them from title challengers to title winners, but who will it be? We asked our football.london writers to name the preferred choice out of six names put to them - Sesko, Gyokeres, Isak, Jonathan David, Victor Osimhen and Dusan Vlahovic.
Sam Truelove
Some big names to choose from. Arsenal could do with a prolific No.9, though, as Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are never going to be clinical marksmen in my opinion.
For me it's out of Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres. The pair have been sensational for their respective clubs in recent seasons and both would improve the Gunners' forward line.
Arsenal have shown interest in both in the past, as reported by football.london , so a move is not out of the equation. My pick would be Isak, though. The Newcastle man is so versatile and can create as well as finish. If not in January, Arsenal should look to sign Isak in the summer at the very least.
Lee Wilmot
Remember when Liverpool splashed out £150million on Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk to turn them into Premier League title winners? Just the once it has to be said, although it may be twice by the end of this season.
That's what Arsenal need to do and the key area they need to strengthen is up front. Alexander Isak is the man with the most Premier League experience, but is the man who will cost the most to sign and that's problematic, but if they want to win the league...
All six are going to cost a fair whack - bar David who is out of contract next summer - so they are going to have to splash the cash to get the job done.
If Isak is too expensive, which I fear he might be, and his injury record is a bit of a concern too, to be fair, my pick would be Osimhen. He's proven himself in a top league already and I think he's the most sensible choice if the price tag drops to £62million.
Tom Coley
Very rarely has a signing made as much sense as Isak joining Arsenal. He is the complete forward and suits Arteta down to the ground. The issue is that out of these players, he is probably the least accessible as well.
Mid-season, getting Isak is near-impossible. Gyokeres also feels unattainable but David would be doable. He really is the budget option, here.
Sesko is likely to be pursued again but will be one for the summer. He hasn't had the follow-up Bundesliga season to warrant a £50million offer yet either, but did go on a fantastic run at the back end of last year, in a similar vein.
If Arsenal are about going for their top option and only their top option then it should be all eyes on Isak. He is worth the £100million it would take to even start negotiations and would transform this team as a striker able to run the channels, dribble, head, finish off both feet, and hold-up play whilst linking from deep. There isn't an alternative in the same mould of Isak.
Cash O'Sullivan
There are a lot of doubters over Viktor Gyokeres due to the club he plays for and the league he plays in, but the numbers he is producing simply can’t be ignored. He has put himself in the bracket of Robert Lewandowski, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as he became just the fourth player since 2010 to score over 60 goals in a calendar year, which is a simply sensational feat.
Of course, Liga Portugal is not the same standard as the Bundesliga or La Liga - but his sheer physicality, speed and sparkling ability on the ball would cause any team in the world problems, as Man City found out not too long ago. If Arsenal want a sheer goalscorer who’s able to bully defenders and score all types of goal, they shouldn’t be looking any further than the big Swede.
He would give the Gunners a dynamic they haven’t had since Olivier Giroud and an eye for goal they haven’t had since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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