One of the reasons why Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta signed a new contract until 2025 towards the end of the 2021/22 season was purportedly to strengthen Arsenal's conviction in the transfer market, although the club's ambitions were considerably weakened by the matches that followed the announcement.
Arsenal's bargaining power took a colossal blow when two successive defeats consigned them to the Europa League next season, and critics of ther current striking options would argue that more firepower would have helped their top-four push over the line.
The Gunners were outgunned by the top four, scoring eight fewer goals than Tottenham, whose own potent attack enjoyed an evening their fans will probably never forget when Harry Kane scored twice and Son Heung-min scored the other in a 3-0 win over Arsenal that allowed them to leapfrog their arch-rivals.
Can Arteta's squad and potential summer signings help Arsenal add to the 61 goals they scored in the 2021/22 Premier League season? Here's what we know about their targets and options.
Who are Arsenal's rumoured transfer targets?
Richarlison
Richarlison was one of the few bright lights of a season when Everton flirted with relegation, scoring 10 goals in 30 Premier League appearances, including the equaliser in a dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace that sealed safety for the Toffees with a game to spare.
"They know what I want," Richarlison revealed in an interview with Globo Esporte once the dust had settled on an unexpectedly dire season for Everton, offering a distinctly ominous-sounding update on his future.
Richarlison says he has spoken to the Everton board and Frank Lampard and expects to confirm his plans in June. According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal face competition from Chelsea and Tottenham for a player valued at around £40 million ($50.5 million).
Whether Champions League clubs would be willing to gamble on a player who is yet to score more than 13 Premier League goals in a season is debatable. When Carlo Ancelotti was at Everton, he voiced his hope that Richarlison would aim for more than 20.
— Richarlison Andrade (@richarlison97) May 30, 2022
Big spenders Everton would have been aware of Richarlison's inconsistencies when they signed him from Watford for £50m ($63m) in 2018. A dazzling right-footed dribbler who likes to charge in from the left, his trickery unsettles defences and he has a vicious shot alongside considerable aerial ability.
The Brazil international makes a habit of riling opposition fans with his theatrics and was at the centre of an unsavoury incident when he threw a flare into the crowd during a game at Goodison Park, leading to an FA investigation.
At 25, Arteta will feel he can both count on Richarlison to inspire Arsenal's young attackers and build on his potential on the training ground. If teams above Arsenal really are after him, Arteta will probably have to hope Richarlison's price tag dissuades them.
Alvaro Morata
Spain international Morata is in a certain amount of limbo after spending two years on loan from Atletico Madrid at Juventus, who were reportedly only interested in signing him if their purchase option of around £30 million ($37.6 million) was reduced.
A technically gifted striker who has attracted hundreds of millions of pounds in transfer fees during his career, Morata's link-up play, strength in the air and perceptive ability to make the right runs and cause trouble between the lines would undoubtedly improve Arsenal's guile in the final third.
The most obvious drawback to signing Morata would be the unlikeliness of the 29-year-old scoring many goals himself. Morata last scored 15 league goals in a season while he was operating in a far more dangerous side than Arsenal currently are during the 2015/16 Real Madrid season.
Chelsea did not always see the best of Morata between 2017 and 2020, although he won the FA Cup and Europa League during his time in the Premier League. He also scored three times and played in every game during Spain's run to the semifinals of EURO 2020, when his wastefulness in front of goal against Italy in the final four was partly to blame for La Roja not reaching the final.
The Daily Mirror have said that Arsenal have registered an interest in Morata if Atleti reduce their asking price, which is understandable given the hefty wage he would likely seek. An elite striker who is short of being among the world's very best, Morata could be a good fit for where Arsenal currently are.
Paulo Dybala
Dybala was considered one of the brightest young forwards in the world when Juventus signed him from Palermo in 2015, and his story towards the end of his final season at the club seems of a piece with his mixed recent years at the club.
A creative attacker known for neat touches, short passes, occasionally spectacular goals and providing a threat from set pieces, Dybala has usually been deployed in a front two or three, playing alongside the likes of Morata and Cristiano Ronaldo in the past.
The 2019-20 Most Valuable Player in Serie A, Dybala will not have his contract renewed at Juve after the club reportedly had a late change of heart despite all but sealing a new contract with him.
Arteta would probably need to combine Dybala with a focal point of a striker such as Morata or a battering ram of a targetman, but the four-time Serie A Team of the Year inductee would be a step up in class among Arsenal's striking options.
Dybala would bring pedigree and experience to Arsenal - he has frequently been paired with Lionel Messi for Argentina and started the 2017 Champions League final - but luring him to the Emirates may represent an unrealistic coup.
In a reflection of the thought process that may be swirling around the heads of most in-demand forwards this summer, Dybala has said he will choose the club that "is best for me" after going on holiday.
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He produced a cinematic video to mark his departure on Instagram, where it is perhaps telling of his stature that he has more than twice as many followers as Arsenal.
You imagine it would be notably easier for Arteta to make a persuasive approach to Dybala if Arsenal had secured Champions League football next season, and Tottenham and Manchester United could also rekindle their reported interest in the 28-year-old after being linked with him in recent seasons.
Any overtures from Premier League clubs could be immaterial in light of Inter Milan CEO Beppe Marotta's admission that his club wants to sign Dybala.
Inter narrowly missed out on winning the Scudetto and will be in the Champions League next year, and the chance to extend his 10-year career in Italy could be another swaying factor for Dybala.
Gabriel Jesus
Arsenal fans could have been forgiven for feeling excited when Jesus's agent confirmed that he had been in talks with their club, describing how the City striker liked "the project" and considered the move a "serious possibility".
Unfortunately for Arsenal, those words came a day before the damaging defeat at Tottenham, flinging Jesus's main suitors aside in a Champions League race they would not move ahead in again.
An aggressive runner and tireless worker, Jesus has been unfortunate to find himself less consistently brilliant than the gifted contemporaries he is up against at City and Brazil.
Arteta saw Jesus's talents at close quarters during his time as City manager Pep Guardiola's assistant before joining Arsenal, and he surely knows that signing a player of his calibre would potentially be transformative for his squad.
Arteta could work with the 25-year-old on timing his runs better if he was to persuade Jesus to join him, but that painful Champions League qualification failure might again be a source of frustration if Jesus's entourage have abruptly stopped returning his calls.
Jesus scored three goals in his first four appearances in the 2021-22 season to help City through the group stage, then added another in their 4-3 home victory over Real Madrid in the semifinals.
With his contract up in 2023 and a return of less than one goal every three appearances in the Premier League, City's apparent willingness to let him go is understandable, his playing chances further reduced by the imminent arrival of Erling Haaland.
His value to Arsenal, though, is underlined by his direct involvement in 25 goals in all competitions across the campaign, and he may feel that a regular run of games for a top-flight team will strengthen his chances of going to the World Cup with Brazil in November.
Gabi’s calling. It’s time to get it done, @arsenal📞🔴 #gabrieljesus #afc pic.twitter.com/jWqaRAOLVX
— Back Arteta (@backarteta) May 30, 2022
Who are Arsenal's current strikers?
Eddie Nketiah
Academy product Nketiah's purported reluctance to commit to Arsenal before the end of the season could well have been influenced by Arteta's interest in Gabriel Jesus.
After playing only 38 minutes of Premier League football in the first half of the season, Nketiah gradually came into contention for a starting berth from the start of 2022, becoming a first-choice striker for Arteta during the final eight games of the season.
Nketiah rewarded that faith with five goals, the finest performance of his promising career to date coming when he scored two of Arsenal's goals in a 4-2 win at Chelsea to ignite belief of Champions League football in the 2022/23 season.
A prolific presence for England at youth levels, Nketiah has shown flashes of excellence for Arsenal that have not been accompanied by enough conviction and physicality to truly convince.
Eddie Nketiah’s new contract will be valid until June 2027. Five year deal now set to be signed, as Arsenal wanted him to stay at all costs. ⚪️🔴 #AFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 28, 2022
Crystal Palace, West Ham and two Bundesliga clubs approached Eddie but he’s staying. pic.twitter.com/tQQmBtpSNL
The 23-year-old is most comfortable as a penalty area poacher. It is just as conceivable that Arteta will help him become a deadly player for Arsenal as it is that he will have to join a team with fewer expectations of immediacy in order to learn and ultimately flourish.
Former loan club Leeds have been linked with a move to re-sign Nketiah, although Sky Sports say he is willing to sign a five-year deal at the Emirates Stadium.
A hat-trick at Sunderland bolstered the five goals Nketiah also contributed in the EFL Cup – signs of a solid rather than sensational talent with ample potential. If Nketiah is expecting Arteta to hand him a run of games from the off next season, he may need to hope that his boss fails to make marquee-style signings in the meantime.
Alexandre Lacazette
Between wins over Southampton in November and Leicester in March, former club record signing Lacazette was directly involved in a further eight goals in nine appearances, causing Arteta to praise his "phenomenal" workrate and ability to provide "something different".
Arteta must have wondered whether his words had been a jinx. Lacazette's threat completely dried up in the four games that followed, producing three defeats in which Arsenal had the cutting edge of custard.
🤩 Another @PremierLeague award nomination
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 25, 2022
🗳 You can vote for Laca's strike at the end of our team move, here 👇
"Over the course of the season we have been missing goals, we've been missing that creativity in the final third and we need those players to step in and make that difference for the team," Arteta also said before the barrun run, which later sounded like the reasons why Lacazette became a peripheral player for the remainder of the season.
Lacazette is 31 and remains an exceptional talent when he produces. He is hugely experienced, has scored goals for France and was on standby for their 2018 FIFA World Cup-winning campaign.
You could analyse Lacazette's lack of aerial threat as much as his keen eye for the target during his best spells since joining the club in 2017, but his shortfall this season has been a lack of goals, converting one fewer than the seven Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored before he left for Barcelona in February.
The Lyon legend is not alone in that: wideman Bukayo Saka (12 goals) and midfielder Emile Smith-Rowe (10) were the only Arsenal players to hit double figures in the Premier League – a painful contrast to the 40 league goals Kane and Son shared and the 54 scored by Liverpool trio Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota.
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Lacazette is out of contract in the summer and Arsenal have been stung before when they have handed older senior players lucrative new contracts based on their influence, achievements and reputation.
A team goal against Southampton earned Lacazette a nomination for the Premier League Goal of the Season. "This is just the type of incisive and beautiful football we hope to see lots more of when we return for the new campaign," said Arsenal analyst and former player for the club Adrian Clarke.
It is unlikely Lacazette will be part of attempts to provide that. The Mirror has reported that he wants to return to France and Lyon are keen to have him back, although Marseille are also said to be interested.
Folarin Balogun
In the 28 minutes Balogun played against Dundalk in the Europa League in 2020, the then-19-year-old set up a goal and scored another to earn comparisons with Arsenal goalscoring legend Ian Wright from former defender Martin Keown.
Aubameyang - a player whose style Balogun carries similarities to - rated the prodigy, as do a queue of scouts at many of his games at youth level, when few teams have stopped him from scoring.
Good experience for Folarin Balogun today, who got the opportunity to train with the senior England squad.
— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) May 31, 2022
He was one of four members of the U21s squad to get the call-up by Gareth Southgate for the day. pic.twitter.com/8PgcmfHISO
Balogun played for the USA at youth level and could represent Nigeria, but England appear to be in pole position to call him up for their senior team because he has four goals in seven appearances for the Three Lions' under-21s.
A striker who prefers to play on the right and has spoken about the way he hones different methods of finishing, Balogun has been directly involved in 16 goals in 11 appearances in Premier League 2 in 2021-22, scoring 13 times.
Arsenal loaned Balogun to Championship side Middlesbrough in January and his performances as they narrowly failed to make the playoffs showed that he is not ready to be effective at senior level yet.
A run of three goals in four appearances was the highlight of a loan spell in which Balogun did not otherwise find the net in the reliably intense, physical second tier of English football.
Folarin Balogun 🤝 tekkerz
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) February 13, 2022
What an assist from the Arsenal loanee on his full Championship debut for Middlesbrough! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/d8JkqEJQzf
Premier League newcomers Fulham are interested in signing Balogun, according to the Daily Mail, which would seem a considerable step up at this stage for a player who remains an unproven raw talent.
Football London also reported that Balogun's form at under-23 level has caught the eye of RB Leipzig. The outlet added that Arteta could knock him down the pecking order by bringing in 19-year-old Sparta Prague and Czech Republic forward Adam Hlozek, describing a Premier League loan as "perfect" for Balogun.
Gabriel Martinelli
Arsenal already have one Brazil attacker within their ranks. Martinelli made his debut in FIFA World Cup qualifying in 2022 and was labelled a "talent of the century" by Jurgen Klopp after scoring twice against Liverpool in the EFL Cup as an 18-year-old in 2019.
Martinelli had arrived from Brazilian side Ituano three months earlier for £6 million ($7.6 million), but he is yet to average as many goals per game as he did during that debut season, although he scored six times and set up another six in 2022/23.
I still think about if this went in… pic.twitter.com/AN4sAHKInd https://t.co/aaD03Or78c
— K. 🇵🇸 (@Sakadinhooo_) May 29, 2022
There is a curiosity to the club officially describing Martinelli as an "electric forward" when he has tended to be deployed on the left wing, where his direct, rapid running, dribbling ability and knack of arriving at the near post from out wide have impressed.
Critics want Martinelli to improve his physical strength and - in an unsurprising predicament for a current Arsenal forward - have more time to develop.
Martinelli has spoken of his admiration for Arteta as a coach, while the manager has called on him to be patient, describing the club's 2019/20 Goal of the Season winner as "willing and anxious".
"There are a few things that have to be better and one of those is to manage when he doesn’t play," Arteta said in April.
"You have to know how to suffer when you are on the bench. You have to be able to swallow that: all your ego and anger, all your willingness to play the game."
Italian publication Calcio Mercato suggested Juventus are so keen on Martinelli that they want to swap him for former Barcelona midfielder Arthur Melo, which seems somewhat fanciful given that he started 21 times for Arteta in 2021/22.
Arsenal will move for 23-year-old PSV winger Cody Gakpo, according to Football London, which makes the more plausible suggestion that Martinelli could be shifted to the right wing.
A player Arteta was briefly teammates with at Arsenal, Thierry Henry, arrived at Arsenal as a wiry winger and became the club's record goalscorer. Henry is no doubt one of Martinelli's inspirations, knowing that even hitting double figures in a season would make him a pivotal part of Arteta's plans.