Arsenal's squad contains a whole host of players whose contracts have less than a year to run.
Worryingly, two of said expiring deals belong to two of the club's strikers, with both Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette set to leave north London for free unless fresh terms can be agreed.
Should the pair depart next summer, Arsenal's frontline options will be left looking threadbare, and so Mikel Arteta's mooted interest in bringing Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic to the club in January probably shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.
However, while he plays for arguably the biggest club in world football and signed for a hefty fee, he would not be the right fit for the Gunners.
The north London club are embarking on a period of transition and the next few transfer windows will be critical in determining whether they progress or continue to slip further down the Premier League table.
Nketiah was understood to be on Crystal Palace's radar in the summer, though with no move materialising he looks destined to leave the Emirates Stadium for free. Arsenal's inability to offload Lacazette means he too could leave for free, a plight made all the more frustrating given the whopping £50million shelled out for him back in 2017.
Arsenal aren't renowned for their shrewd moves in the transfer market and both Nketiah and Lacazette look destined to be the next names added to the long list entitled 'players Arsenal could have sold for big money but didn't'.
The links to Jovic may excite Arsenal fans, but his record since joining Real Madrid in 2019 makes for grim reading.
The Serbia international enjoyed an excellent two-year spell at Eintracht Frankfurt, with his final season at the club a particular highlight as he spearheaded his side's charge to the Europa League semi-final, scoring 27 goals in all competitions.
His fine form saw him secure a £56.7million move to the Spanish behemoths, but since then his career has taken a nosedive.
The Serbian made just 21 La Liga appearances in his first two seasons in the Spanish capital, notching just two goals before being shipped back out to Eintracht Frankfurt on loan in the second half of the 2020/21 campaign.
This season hasn't looked any more promising, with Jovic featuring in just 21 minutes of Los Blancos' opening five league games - proof if ever it was needed that he's been deemed surplus to requirements.
Alarm bells should already be ringing for the Gunners. Not only will he be pricey, but it will be a huge risk that cannot be taken given the club's ongoing struggles.
Jovic’s arrival could also stunt the growth of Folarin Balogun, with the young forward's game time likely to be even more limited if the big-money Real Madrid striker moves to the Emirates.
Jovic has struggled to make his mark in La Liga and the Premier League is an even bigger challenge.
Of course, there's still the possibility that the club could renew Lacazette’s contract, and while it may not be an announcement that excites the fans quite like the arrival of a Real Madrid forward, it would be a much safer option than taking a gamble on Jovic.
If Lacazette’s renewal is not possible then it would be better for the club to wait until the summer transfer window before trying to sign a proven goalscorer who can be trusted to produce the goods, not one who has been kicking his heels on the bench for nearly two years.
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