The Gunners have been banging in goals for fun this season, and it’s hard to imagine that their biggest weakness is the lack of a striking focal point. The team leads the premier scoring chats, and they have also conceded far much fewer goals than title rivals Liverpool and Manchester. This makes the favourites, according to betting firm Betway, in a title race run-in that could easily end up with the top three teams having the same number of points.
However, for all their attacking prowess, the team has had to do without a proper number nine. Their main striker, Gabriel Jesus, has endured a flurry of injuries and only managed to score 4 goals so far. His deputy, Eddie Nketiah, has not been up to the standard and has only six goals in his name across all competitions so far. This means that the goals have had to come from elsewhere, and the striking remains the priority – as it has been for quite a while.
So who are the most likely candidates to fill that position come the summer?
Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting CP)
Viktor Gyökeres has been a revelation at Sporting CP and has taken Liga Portugal by storm this season. The Swedish Internal started at Brighton, but things didn’t really pick up for him after a couple of loan spells. His permanent move to Coventry City was then the turning point, and he scored 22 goals and assisted a further 12 in his last season (2022/23) before Sporting CP snapped him.
The Portuguese outfit got him for a Coventry record fee of potentially up to €26million, but that proved to be a bargain in less than half a season. The striker has scored 36 goals and assisted a further 14 in just 42 matches, outscoring the likes of Harry Kane, Erlin Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe this season.
He is quite powerful but is also a relentless channel runner who can drift wide comfortably, which makes him a perfect fit for Mikel Arteta’s side. However, he has a release clause of €100 million (£85.8m), which can prove to be a significant hurdle if Sporting hold out close to the 6-point figure.
Ivan Toney (Brentford)
Ivan Toney is up for sale after Brentford manager Thomas Frank stated that he would probably be sold in the summer due to the length of his contract. Toney replied “I see that as he doesn’t want me,” and he hasn’t hidden his admiration for Arsenal in the past.
The best thing about Ivan Toney is that he is a proven goal scorer and is believed to have been the number 1 priority for much of the season. After serving his eight-month ban for gambling breaches, the Brentford man has pretty much continued where he left off, after scoring 20 goals in 33 games for Brentford in the Premier League last season.
But while he guarantees goals and has already proven himself in the Premier League, there are also concerns about whether he would be a perfect fit for Arteta’s side. Brentford are also rumored to have a price tag £60 million and above for the Englishman, which could prove to be prohibitive.
Joshua Zirkzee (Bologna)
Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee has become hot property in Europe after catching the eye with some stellar performances at Italian outfit Bologna. The Nigerian may not have the numbers recorded by the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, but he has shown immense potential that has made Arsenal get competition from Italian giants AC Milan and Juventus. He currently has 11 goals and 5 assists for Bologna in all competitions, with the club sitting fourth in the league after 31 matches.
Zirkzee may not be the finished product yet, but he has the potential and profile that can make Arsenal prioritize him in the summer. His price is also expected to be much lower than that of Zirkzee, which can work well for the Gunners, considering their 2023 outlay on Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Jurrien Timber.