Arsenal's search for a striker is no secret, with the Gunners having struggled in the second half of last season thanks to injuries in their final third - but one of Europe's most in-form strikers must look to find his way further onto their radar in the coming weeks, despite stronger links to other forwards - in Fiorentina's Moise Kean.
The Gunners saw Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus as their main duo at the start of the campaign, and although both have rarely been extremely prolific throughout their careers, Havertz in particular stood up to the task by registering four goals in just eight Champions League games, and nine Premier League goals in 21 games before being ruled out for the season.
Arsenal Must Complete Moise Kean Deal to Save Money for Other Areas
The Gunners have been in fine form but a striker would elevate them massively
MixCollage-23-Feb-2025-05-13-PM-1600
That, alongside Jesus picking up an injury in mid-January, left the Gunners high and dry in the attacking areas of the pitch, winning just four of their 12 games in the Premier League without the German to hand Liverpool the title at a canter.
It's seen the need to bring in a new man, and two major names that continue to be linked are Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko, after outstanding seasons for both Sporting and RB Leipzig respectively. But with Gyokeres being courted by a lot of top European sides, there may be a bit of a queue for his services, and that could prompt a bidding war - and whilst Sesko has an £85million asking price, Kean would act as a cheaper alternative.
Moise Kean's Premier League statistics - Fiorentina squad ranking
Stats
Appearances
Goals
Key Passes Per Game
Shots Per Game
Dribbles Per Game
Match rating
The former Everton man has a £44million release clause, almost half of the money required to sign Sesko, and having scored goals in a better league than Gyokeres, he's at least shown that he can do it on the big stage. Granted, it has taken the Juventus academy graduate time to properly shine despite being called 'exceptional' last season, and 19 goals this season has marked his best-ever goalscoring campaign - but a level of maturity to his game has seen him flourish in Tuscany and Arsenal would be well-placed to complete his signing.
They could use the spare money saved from a deal for Gyokeres or Sesko in another position, with a new winger needed to rival Bukayo Saka and go ahead of Gabriel Martinelli in the pecking order - and an extra £41million would surely be at least half of a fee needed.
Arsenal have shown interest in the 25-year-old before, and with almost 20 goals in Serie A as well as finding his way back into the Italy national team, Kean has shown his talents on the European stage - which Arsenal are looking at anyway with Gyokeres and Sesko.
Gyökeres is in the form of his life, having scored 39 goals in 33 games for the Lisbon-based outfit - but the standard of opposition is much worse, and whether that will translate against bigger opponents remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, Sesko would be a better long-term option, but other priorities are also needed, and with 13 goals in the Bundesliga marking a worse season than his previous campaign with Leipzig, signing a player who is in hot form could be just the ticket for Mikel Arteta.
Statistics courtesy of WhoScored. Correct as of 01-06-25.
mikel arteta-1 Related
Arsenal ‘Offered’ £325,000-a-Week ‘Superstar’ Alongside Rodrygo and Sesko
Arsenal are aiming to sign attackers this summer and one star remains on their shortlist
Sign up to The GIVEMESPORT Report to get exclusive daily updates from Fabrizio Romano, Ben Jacobs, Dean Jones and Tom Bogert sent straight to your inbox.