The five names on Arsenal’s striker shortlist for the summer transfer window
Mikel Arteta wants to add more firepower to his ranks.
Arsenal have a host of top-class forwards on their transfer shortlist for the summer though their business will be dependent on outgoings, according to reports.
The Gunners have enjoyed another excellent campaign and are once again locked in a title battle, this time with both Manchester City and Liverpool, while they face Bayern Munich in the quarter-final of the Champions League.
Despite their competitiveness, Arsenal have lacked an out-and-out goalscorer with strikers Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah mustering just nine Premier League goals between them.
The Brazilian’s season has once again been hampered by injury, limiting him to just 13 starts, and he has been out-scored by seven of his team-mates, while centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes has as many goals.
That has seen Arsenal increasingly linked with a move for a new frontman and they explored several options in the January window, though were priced out of a move for Ivan Toney.
According to The Athletic, the Brentford star – who bagged his first goal for England on Tuesday night – will once again be an option in the summer window, along with several other names.
Victor Osimhen, who has intimated that he will leave Napoli at the end of the season, is a player that has been linked with the Gunners – as well as Chelsea – for some time and he remains a target.
However, neither player will come cheap, with Napoli reportedly wanting as much as £150million for Osimhen – a figure Arsenal will not reach.
Sporting attacker Viktor Gyokeres, who has enjoyed a sensational campaign in Portugal, is firmly on Arsenal’s radar and is ‘well thought of’ at the club, and he is likely to cost around half of Napoli’s asking price for Osimhen.
Again, however, Arsenal will face a huge amount of competition for the Sweden international, with Chelsea once again their most significant rival.
RB Leipzig’s young striker Benjamin Sesko is another player Arsenal like, and the 20-year-old has a release clause of just £43million which becomes active in the summer.
Evan Ferguson is also highly rated by the Gunners, though Brighton are likely to demand a fee in excess of £100m which will probably be too rich for Arsenal.
Another name that has been tentatively linked with Arsenal is Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, who was actually scouted by the north Londoners when he was still at Real Sociedad, but a move to the Emirates is not considered likely right now.
Any deals for a striker will be massively dependent on the funds Arsenal are able to raise from player sales, and how much budget they have to spread out over a host of different positions.
In addition to a new forward, Arteta is also keen to bring in a midfielder, a back-up winger, potentially a left-back and a replacement goalkeeper for Aaron Ramsdale should he leave – while David Raya’s loan has to be made permanent too.
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