With a move for Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland looking extremely unlikely, Arsenal will be ramping up their search for an alternative striker this summer.
The departure of Alexandre Lacazette opens the door for an elite talent to join the north London club, and there appears to be an ever changing list of names linked.
It has been reported that the Gunners have a three man shortlist for Lacazette’s replacement, but with an ever evolving picture in the market, this list of targets is sure to change between now and the summer.
Jonathan David, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Patrick Schick have all been named as targets but Arsenal could opt for Champions League experience to prepare their squad for a return to European competition.
One such name could be Gabriel Jesus, who has been consistently linked with the Gunners since it was revealed by David Ornstein of The Athletic that he was being looked at as a potential transfer option.
The Manchester City man has enjoyed an upturn in form since the link was made, scoring six goals in just three games.
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This could tempt Pep Guardiola to hang onto the striker, who the Mirror report has a £40 million asking price as City will look to recoup some of the transfer fee spent on Haaland.
An alternative name that could come into the frame is Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez, who has been prolific in his time in Italy, but could be looking for a change after four seasons there.
The diminutive striker has been linked to a move to North London by The Times after a failed bid last summer.
The Gunners reportedly were unable to match Inter’s £60 million valuation last summer but Edu could return with another bid this time around, with Champions League football potentially on offer to the 24-year-old should Arsenal finish in the top four.
Manchester United have also reportedly offered Anthony Martial as part of a swap deal for Martinez, which could ignite what may be one of the summer’s most exciting transfer sagas.
Martinez formed a deadly partnership with Romelu Lukaku under Antonio Conte as Inter won the Scudetto in 2021 and has scored 70 goals in 177 appearances since joining from Racing Club in 2018.