Arsenal will sign a striker in the summer transfer window, with Alexander Isak, Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres in their sights - but Aston Villa pair Ollie Watkins and Marcus Rashford complicate matters
Mikel Arteta faces a major striker dilemma this summer. Everyone knows that Arsenal are in the market for a big-name centre forward and getting the right one over the line is new sporting director Andrea Berta’s No1 priority.
Gunners boss Arteta likes Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, the existing scouts have put so much work into watching RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Berta clearly rates Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres. Isak is probably not for sale at any price, Sesko was the red-hot favourite last summer and is on the agenda while Gyokeres cannot stop scoring but is five years older than Sesko.
That is the dynamic behind the scenes and you have to fancy one of them will rock up at the Emirates this summer - and there is also an interesting sub-plot from January.
Arsenal claim they were offered Ollie Watkins in the final week of the window when Aston Villa were facing the prospect of having to balance the books to meet with profit and sustainability rules. Villa eventually sold Jhon Duran instead and were able to do a loan deal for Marcus Rashford and, intriguingly, Arteta is a long-term admirer of the Manchester United forward.
It is difficult to imagine that if Arsenal had not taken up their two loan spots that they would not have at least enquired about Rashford as he has pace, goals and quality. Watkins has even admitted he has found the whole soap opera difficult to deal with at Villa Park and, despite continuing to score goals, has lost his automatic starting place.
It remains to be seen whether Villa might be open to selling Watkins as a result, but it is hard to imagine that Arsenal will go back for him because he is 29, there is no sell-on value and the chance may have gone. However, Arteta really bought into the possibility of doing a deal on Watkins in January and was quite sold on it to the point that he was prepared to wait at the expense of other transfers.
Villa held firm after allowing Duran to go to Saudi and then did a deal for Rashford until the end of the season. Rashford wants to join a club permanently this summer and wants to go to play Champions League football but, again, that now seems unlikely to be Arsenal.
Arsenal want a centre forward rather than a wide forward with Isak, Sesko and Gyokeres fitting the bill. It could be argued that they need two forwards but the problem with that is that Kai Havertz will soon be fit again after hamstring surgery and they also still have Gabriel Jesus on the books and he is one of the club’s biggest earners.
Havertz could well move back into midfield next season with the arrival of a new No9 but Jesus is facing a much longer lay-off and his wages will restrict Arsenal in terms of signing another forward.
They also already have Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi in their sights in midfield - and believe it is a done deal - but still need a new No2 keeper and a left winger as priorities, with Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams their dream ticket.
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That will be a lot of outlay and they will also need to get some players out of the door with Jorginho set to return to Brazil, Thomas Partey is out of contract and Oleksandr Zinchenko could be among a few names to leave. There is Saudi interest in Leandro Trossard.
But while they have got serious money to spend, they also need to sell which means it is more likely to be one forward signing rather than two - and that could rule out a move for Watkins or Rashford.