While defences are supposed to win you leagues, that hasn't been the case for Arsenal in recent seasons.
Mikel Arteta's side produced the best defence in the Premier League for the second successive campaign this year but once again ended up in second place, this time miles off Liverpool in first.
So, to close the gap, the club need to go out and sign an effective forward this summer, someone who could finally get them over the line in the biggest competitions.
mikel-arteta-arsenal-premier-league
Fortunately, that seems to be the plan, as recent reports have linked the club to a striker who's been compared to Kylian Mbappé and Alexander Isak.
Arsenal's striker search
Given the club's comparative lack of firepower this season, the last few weeks and months have seen Arsenal linked with plenty of top-quality strikers, with perhaps the most consistent being Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sekso.
The former has been on fire for Sporting Cp, scoring 54 goals and providing 13 assists in 52 games this season, and while he's not proven himself in a top-five league, his reported price tag of around £54m doesn't feel unreasonable.
On the other hand, Sesko could cost up to £75m, but he has that experience of playing in a top-five league, and in 45 appearances for RB Leipzig this term, he scored 21 goals and provided six assists.
RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko before taking a penalty
Yet, recently, a more prolific striker than the Slovenian and someone younger than the Swede has been touted for a move to the Emirates: Hugo Ekitiké.
Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are among several sides keen on signing the Eintracht Frankfurt star this summer.
The report reveals that Arsenal and Manchester United have already made contact with the player's camp, while fellow Premier League rivals Liverpool, Chelsea, and Newcastle United are all 'monitoring' the Frenchman closely.
On top of dealing with the competition, the Gunners will have to stump up a hefty fee to get their man, with the report claiming that Frankfurt want up to €90m for the player, which comes out to about £76m.
hugo-ekitike-frankfurt
It would be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Ekitike's ability and potential, it's one worth fighting for, especially considering his comparisons to Mbappé and Isak.
How Ekitike compares to Isak & Mbappé
So, before looking at why Arsenal might want to sign him and the similarities to Mbappé, it's worth examining this comparison to Isak and where it comes from.
Alexander-Isak
In this instance, it stems from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions in Europe's top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, before creating a list of the ten most comparable players.
By doing this, it has been concluded that the Swedish international is the sixth most similar forward to the Frenchman across the last 365 days.
Ekitike & Isak
Statistic per 90
Expected Goals
Goals per Shot
Passing Accuracy
Expected Assists
Passes into the Penalty Area
Through Balls
Goal-Creating Actions
Successful Take-Ons %
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season
The best way to see how this is worked out is by taking a look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including but not limited to expected goals, goals per shot, passing accuracy, passes into the penalty area, goal-creating actions, through balls and more, all per 90.
On top of sharing a considerable number of statistical similarities with the Newcastle star, the Reims-born gem has also been described as the "next Mbappé" by many in France, per journalist Graeme Bailey, and while that might sound hyperbolic, it's not too hard to see where they could be coming from.
For example, like the Real Madrid star, the Frankfurt ace is a brilliant goalscorer, finding the back of the net 22 times in 48 games this season, but is also something of a creator, producing 12 assists.
Moreover, according to FBref, the former Paris Saint-Germain gem sits in the top 4% of forwards in Europe's top five leagues for progressive carries and successful take-ons, the top 5% for expected assisted goals, the top 6% for shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.
Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike celebrates
Ultimately, while it wouldn't be a cheap transfer, Arsenal should do all they can to sign Ekitike this summer, as he's proven himself capable of scoring plenty of goals, as well as creating some - just like Mbappé and Isak.
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