Arsenal could be set to once again invest in their frontline sooner rather than later as Alexandre’s Lacazette’s time as a Gunner appears to be drawing to a close.
The Frenchman is out of contract at the end of the season, with Edu now having a decision over whether to sell him in January for far less than his market value, or let him leave the Emirates Stadium for free in the summer.
Arsenal will of course need to find a replacement for Lacazette - who is valued at £19.8million by transfermarkt - should he depart in the winter, or indeed at the conclusion of the current campaign.
Recent reports are suggesting that the Gunners have started searching for the Frenchman’s successor already and with that in mind, football.london assesses the latest candidates for the vacancy to lead the line for Mikel Arteta.
Ivan Toney
A man who has certainly courted attention throughout English football over recent seasons, Toney has netted 35 goals in just 56 appearances for Brentford since arriving from Peterborough in 2020.
A key figure in the Bees’ promotion, he has taken that form into the Premier League and has two goals and two assists in his first seven appearances in the competition for the club.
Those displays have caught the eye, with Arsenal linked with his services in the past. He has just under four years left on the contract he signed last summer in west London.
Ollie Watkins
From one promising Arsenal striker to another, Watkins, like Toney, honed his skills during his time with Brentford.
The forward was handed his Premier League chance by Aston Villa and he enjoyed an extremely productive debut season with 14 goals, whilst he is also off the mark for the current campaign.
The Sun have suggested that the Gunners are keeping an eye on the 25-year-old as a potential replacement for Lacazette in the future.
Paul Onuachu
If the Nigerian’s goal record is anything to go by, he would be an absolutely fantastic purchase by Edu.
The 27-year-old hit 34 goals in all competitions for Genk last season, whilst he already has a further 11 to his name in the early weeks of the 2021/22 campaign.
The Athletic previously suggested that the Gunners were interested in bringing the striker to England but faced competition from the likes of Watford and West Ham.
He has previously admitted that he was ‘waiting’ for an interested party to make a move for his services in the January transfer window, so would potentially be open to a move.
Dusan Vlahovic
Heading into the January transfer window, the 21-year-old Serbian appears to be one of the most sought-after talents in world football.
He exploded onto the scene last season with 21 goals in all competitions, whilst he has continued that form into the new season with six strikes in eight games.
Vlahovic’s current club Fiorentina have confirmed that he has rejected the offer of a new deal, which could hand Arsenal considerable encouragement.
It was reported by Corriere dello Sport that Arsenal had been in contract over the potential signing of the striker in August.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
The Everton hitman has certainly forged a reputation as an extremely accomplished centre-forward over the last few seasons.
He scored on 21 occasions last season and despite an injury-hit start to the new campaign, has kept up his scoring run.
The Sun have suggested that the 11-time England international could also be one on the Gunners’ shortlist, although it might well be difficult to convince Everton to sell with his contract set to run until the summer of 2025.
