Arsenal entered the current season knowing that they needed to sign a reliable goalscorer to fire them to the Premier League title, and they felt they had addressed the issue with a deal for Viktor Gyokeres.
After a stunning season at Sporting CP, the Swede completed a move to north London after some tough negotiations, and has so far managed to hit 15 goals and register three assists in 39 appearances across all competitions. That has helped Arsenal to a seven point lead at the top of the Premier League table, while they are also right in the mix for success in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup domestically.
But in the Champions League, their hopes took a knock on Wednesday night as Mikel Arteta's side were held to a 1-1 draw in Germany against Leverkusen, with a controversial 89th-minute penalty earning them an advantage heading into the second leg next week.
Gyokeres Is Struggling for Arsenal
Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres celebrates scoring their second goal with Piero Hincapie and Gabriel Magalhaes
Despite his relatively successful numbers in his debut Premier League campaign for the Gunners, it's hard to argue that Gyokeres hasn't had his struggles this season.
Those were summed up against Leverkusen in the Champions League this week, as he completed just 11 of 16 pass attempts, failed to have a single shot attempt during the game, and won just one aerial duel before he was replaced by Kai Havertz after just 64 minutes.
The German ended up netting the late penalty against his former club, but he's been struggling with injuries for the best part of a year now, while Gabriel Jesus has never been particularly prolific either.
There has been plenty of speculation that the club will look to bring another forward in this summer to go up another level, and the perfect candidate is someone that will be very familiar to them, with a bid having already been made.
Arsenal Need Julian Alvarez
Julian Alvarez in action for Atletico Madrid
Julian Alvarez is someone who has regularly been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium in recent transfer windows, but a deal has never materialised up to this point.
The Argentine departed Man City having won the World Cup, with Lionel Messi calling him 'extraordinary', and he has been essential to Atletico Madrid and Diego Simeone since his move there two summers ago. But it's clear that Arsenal have the squad to get the best out of him, and he already knows how to win the Premier League, which could be the perfect remedy for what they need next season.
Arsenal will already know what it will take to get a deal done this summer, and if they're serious about becoming a heavyweight in Europe, then they must go all out to do exactly that.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta during Mansfield Town v Arsenal Related
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