Being the massive club they are, Arsenal have been blessed with an abundance of world-class players in the past.
The likes of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira were unreal in the early 2000s, while Mesut Özil and Alexis Sanchez were the shining lights of the latter Arsène Wenger years.
However, on top of the bonafide stars, the Gunners also had more than their fair share of those who fell one or two rungs below, those who were still incredibly talented but are now seen as cult heroes more than anything else.
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Theo Walcott would likely fall into the category for many fans, as while he never really fulfilled the potential so many believed he had, the former England international was still more than a handful, responsible for some iconic goals and was arguably the club's best attacker for a season or two.
So, fans should be excited about recent reports linking Arsenal to an international who could be the Mikel Arteta's own Walcott.
Arsenal transfer news
Before getting to the player in question, it's worth looking at some of the other talented internationals touted for moves to Arsenal in recent weeks and months, like Rodrygo and Mohammed Kudus.
The former is reportedly available for around £84m, which might be a fee worth paying, as in 51 games for Real Madrid this season, he has scored 14 goals and provided ten assists.
On the other hand, Kudus might prove even more challenging to pry away from West Ham United as, according to reports from last week, he has a release clause worth up to a staggering £120m in his current deal.
West Ham's Mohammed Kudus
Fortunately, another attacking talent has entered the frame for Arteta and Co: Anthony Elanga.
According to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Arsenal are one of several teams interested in the Nottingham Forest star ahead of the transfer window reopening next week.
The report claims that, alongside the Gunners, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Aston Villa have all been watching the Swedish international 'closely.'
However, on top of dealing with the potential competition, the North Londoners would have to stump up a hefty fee of around £60m to get their man.
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It could be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Elanga's ability and the potential for him to improve further, it's one Arsenal should be fighting for, especially as he could be their new Walcott.
Why Elanga would be Walcott 2.0
Okay, while there are certainly numerous reasons why Arsenal would want to, and probably should, sign Elanga this summer, let's first address just why he could be the club's new Walcott.
Elanga-Van-de-ven
The first is that, like with the former Southampton gem, it would be another example of the Gunners signing an exciting and dynamic right-winger who can play in other positions from a fellow Premier League side.
Moreover, while the Swede is a fair bit older than the Englishman was when he moved to North London, the fact he's still just 23 years old means there is plenty of time for him to further develop and grow in N5.
However, there is another, even more significant similarity between the two players: their pace.
While he was playing under Wenger, the former Arsenal star wasn't always necessarily the most technical of footballers, but he was blisteringly quick, as shown by the Castol Football Index calculating his top speed to be 22.72 mph in March 2014, which converts to about 36.56 km/h.
Fastest & slowest players in the Premier League 2024-25 (timeless)
In comparison, the Forest star reached an even higher speed of 22.78 mph this season, which is about 36.66 km/h, but did even better and hit 22.93 mph last season, which is around 36.91kmph.
Impressively, that is currently the fourth-fastest sprint since Premier League records began and more than justifies his statement that he's "one of the fastest players in the league."
Elanga's 24/25
Appearances
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Minutes per Goal Involvement
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Finally, on top of being absurdly fast, the "special" talent, as dubbed by manager Nuno Espírito Santo, is also a potent threat, scoring six goals and providing 12 assists in just 43 appearances, totalling 2752 minutes this season.
That comes out to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.38 games, or every 152.88 minutes.
Ultimately, Arsenal need to add more attacking talent to the squad this summer, and someone who's a genuine threat while also being incredibly fast sounds like just the player they should be signing.
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The prolific international would be a sensational and game-changing signing for Arsenal.