Painful as it is to say, Santi Cazorla seems increasingly unlikely to ever return to the pitch for Arsenal, so it’s important for the club to look for a replacement this summer.

Thanks to just how long Cazorla has been on the sidelines, the club have had a lot of time to look for a replacement. Although they haven’t signed any of their targets so far, we know at least some of the players they’re considering through reports in the media.

Here are 10 of them:

2Pablo Fornals

VALENCIA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 04: Pablo Fornals of Malaga CF celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the La Liga match between Valencia CF and Malaga CF at Mestalla stadium on December 4, 2016 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
(Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Fornals is a rising star in Spain and the 22-year-old is comfortable playing in a deeper role in midfielder or further up the pitch in the number 10 role.

An established first team regular with Malaga before paying his own release clause of £10m to join Villarreal, he has four goals and nine assists this season in 41 games.

Fornals is one of the few young names that come to mind when you think of a direct replacement for our Spanish magician.

His stats this season may not suggest an eye for goal, but he certainly has one and when combined with his direct running, ability to play as a 6, 8 or 10 it’s not hard to see why he has already been given his full senior Spain debut.

He is under contract until 2022 so he won’t come cheap and it’s unlikely he will switch again just one summer after already moving back to the club where his career started but Arsenal should certainly consider making a move.