Arsenal are reportedly set for a huge decision on their summer transfer targets in the coming days and weeks.
The transfer window officially opens on June 1st, before closing again on June 10th - with FIFA opening the window early so clubs involved in the Club World Cup can be allowed to sign players before the competition starts. However, the move is not just limited to clubs entered in this year's tournament.
That means we could see new players arriving at the Emirates Stadium in just over a week, with links beginning to heat up now that the season is drawing to a close.
The Gunners have just one game remaining - an away trip to face Southampton - before they can close the book on the 2024/25 campaign. While the Gunners are all but guaranteed to seal second place in the league, it has been a frustrating season for fans and manager Mikel Arteta alike.
Key deficiencies in the squad have been exposed by an injury crisis which affected the likes of Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard among several others at points throughout the season.
While they are by no means the only team to struggle with injuries this year, the Gunners' attack was decimated and Arteta publicly called for action in January to rectify the situation - to no avail.
But top of the list this summer is to bring in a striker to make the No.9 role their own. While Havertz has impressed up front, it is not the role he was signed for. Whether he will still have a starting role after a new striker is signed is another matter.
The links to a new striker have been solid for some time, and football.london understands that another wide attacker is also among the potential recruits for the Gunners this summer.
Top of the list for the No.9 currently looks to be Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, with the 26-year-old having a release clause in his contract believed to be worth £60million.
However, there have been links to a host of other players, and the Athletic state that the Gunners are currently trying to decide between a move for the former Coventry striker and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko.
football.london understands that Sesko is also on Chelsea's shortlist as they target a new striker, so it could be a more difficult deal to get done. However, the Athletic's David Ornstein states that both players are under consideration for Arsenal - though it's unclear just yet which is the top option.
"It seems Arsenal are deciding between which of those two strikers to pursue as their preferred target. They're both under consideration but it's hard to know who is higher because 1) we're not privy the conversations and 2) generally these situations often aren't as straight forward as higher/lower; there are many factors that contribute to such decisions being made and then even more to reach execution stage.
"There are naturally pros and cons but I must say Gyokeres and Sesko are elite No.9s who would be outstanding signings, so this should bring some excitement to the Arsenal fanbase (if one of them is signed!)."
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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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