Arsenal had a heart-breaking end of the Premier League season as they lost two out of their last three games. The Gunners were hoping to finish fourth on the table and qualify for the Champions League. However, Arsenal lost their two crucial games against Tottenham Spurs and Newcastle United. This ended all hopes of making it to the Europa League before ending the season with a 5-1 victory against Everton. It would be extremely frustrating for Mikel Arteta and his side, as they lost a big opportunity of making €85m (£72m) next season and getting top players with the League’s money.
With Arsenal losing another chance to make it to the biggest stage in club football, they will look to make some crucial changes in their side next summer. The Gunners have been falling short for a long time now, and Mikel Arteta’s future with the Gunners might depend on how the team responds next. With Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah leaving the Arsenal camp this summer, the club has started their search to bring two new strikers in this summer. Recent reports suggest that Arsenal has shortlisted five strikers for the upcoming summer transfer window. So who are these five players, and where are they currently? Keep reading ahead to find out!
Arsenal Shortlists Five Strikers For Two Vacant Positions
In recent months, one of the names that have been heavily linked with the Gunners has been Manchester City’s, Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian international’s contract ends in a year. Moreover, Erling Haaland’s arrival from Borussia has also jeopardized Jesus’ position in Manchester City. Thus, reports suggest that Arsenal and City have been talking about Gabriel’s transfer for a few weeks now. However, he is not the only player that the Gunners have their eyes on.
Further, Arsenal’s second shortlisted player is Napoli’s Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian international’s manager flew to London to meet with Arsenal’s sporting director Edu. While the Gunners are aware of the complications of the move, Napoli might be interested in a transfer if the fee is substantially higher than £68m. The football club paid the amount to sign Osimhem from Lille in 2020. However, the fact that Arsenal failed to make it to the Champions League might hinder their chances of acquiring the Napoli striker.
The third potential prospect for the Gunners would be Tammy Abraham from Roma. While Jesus and Osimhem would be the prime contenders, the 24-year-old had a brilliant debut season in Italy. Tammy is a brilliant option as well. But the Gunners will have to offer a heft deal to get Abraham to the Emirates Stadium. Further, Verton’s dynamic duo of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison are also on Arsenal’s radar. The Gunners are also reported to have been looking into the Brazilian international Richarlison’s contract recently.
Arsenal has some excellent players in Gabriel Lartinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes. They plan on adding another Brazilian to the squad by setting up a £3m deal to get Marquinhos. The 19-year-old flew to London last week for a medical ahead of his move to Arsenal from Sao Paulo. However, there could be more than two vacant positions in the Gunners squad. Mohammed Elneny is also linked with rumors of him leaving the club. We can expect to see Mikel Arteta working on more transfer deals if that happens.