Erling Haaland against Arsenal. It's a terrifying tale for supporters and perhaps most notably, defensive stalwart Gabriel Magalhaes.
In his 11 matches against the Gunners, he has scored six times and registered two assists. He's only been on the losing side three times. For good measure, the striker even scored twice against Gabriel when Norway knocked Brazil out of the World Cup.
Gabriel-Haaland
When he sees the centre-back, he seemingly relishes the challenge. It's one of football's great rivalries.
Now, in 2026 and fresh off winning a first Premier League title in 22 years, Arsenal must find their very own Haaland.
Why Arsenal need a superstar signing like Haaland
Last season, it felt like there were very few weaknesses in this Arsenal squad.
They had the best defensive record in the Premier League, shipping just 27 goals and they only conceded seven in their run to the Champions League final.
Arsenal-Gabriel-Saliba-Hincapie-Raya
In goal, they had David Raya who kept 28 clean sheets in all competitions. In midfield, they had Declan Rice running the show but up front, there was something missing.
The Gunners were not bad in attack but they were certainly frustrating. They are usually tasked with breaking down lock blocks and while they did often find the answer, it was not always convincing. 19 of their of their league goals came from corners. That was a record number across any Premier League campaign in history.
You cannot say that Mikel Arteta and Co haven't been creative in their bid to become champions but how sustainable that approach is remains to be seen.
They need more quality in the final third and they need it quickly. Christos Tzolis has been signed to replace Leandro Trossard but they need further signings.
Gabriel Martinelli only scored once in the league all season and their top scorer was Viktor Gyokeres with 14 which rather said it all. The last time Man City won the league Erling Haaland scored 27 and when Liverpool won it in 2024/25, Mohamed Salah had 29 goals to his name.
It is why it was so frustrating that they missed out on Morgan Rogers. The England international was a leading target but the Gunners were outbid by Chelsea to the tune of £117m. It's also why their pursuit of Julian Alvarez continues to frustrate.
Arsenal need to realise that in a market like the inflated one we are witnessing, to really take their side to the next level, they may have to overpay a tad.
How Arsenal could sign their own Haaland
To think that Haaland only cost £51m back in 2022 is remarkable. It is safe to say that he has been a total bargain for the Citizens who have continued to soar to new heights with the Norwegian at the front of the team.
Erling-Haaland-Manchester-City
Since moving to the Etihad, the 26-year-old has scored 162 goals in 198 matches. He has been the best striker in the world alongside Harry Kane for a number of years now.
He is a true superstar. He is a player you can always rely on to score goals even when the team is not necessarily playing well. It may feel a bit harsh to say, but Norway would not have been in the World Cup quarter-finals without him. City may not have won the Champions League without him either.
It's why Arsenal now need their own superstar and in the form of Vinicius Junior, they could finally find that. The Brazilian is the subject of interest from the Gunners who are exploring a sensational swoop this summer.
Vinicius Junior season by season
Season
2021/22
2022/23
2023/24
2024/25
2025/26
The winger's contract situation at Real Madrid is uncertain. His current deal expires in a year and Andrea Berta is positioning himself to seal his signature if he does leave the Spanish capital. According to Arsenal insider AFCamden, he is open to a move, although reports in Spain suggest they may have to pay as much as £136m.
It would be a jaw-dropping signing, like none other Arsenal have ever made. Sure, they signed Mesut Ozil from the same team once upon a time but not even the German's superstar status was on the same level as Vini Junior's.
He is a global megastar, one of the most iconic players on the planet. Only two years ago he came second in the Ballon d'Or rankings to Rodri. Jude Bellingham hailed him as "the best in the world". Vini felt like he had been cruelly robbed of football's biggest individual honour.
Since then, the 26-year-old has continued to perform at an exceptionally high level. Like Haaland, this is a player who can score out of nothing. He is the type of player who will grab a game by the horns and win it on his own.
Brazil-Vinicius-JuniorReuters/Vincent Carchietta
In each of the last five seasons, Vinicius has scored 20 goals goals with his best campaign coming in 2022/23 when he bagged 23 and assisted 19 in all competitions.
In the aformentioned Rice, Gabriel and indeed Bukayo Saka, Arsenal have three world class players and they come together to form a wonderful trio. Yet, they have been missing that genuine superstar for years. It's why it took them so long to get over the hurdle in their bid to be crowned English champions and it's one of the reasons they failed to get over the line in the Champions League final.
They have missed a gamechanger in the form of Vinicius Junior.
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Arsenal's efforts to improve the frontline have stepped up once again in recent days.