Arsenal have “looked at” four strikers as they consider potential recruits ahead of the summer transfer window, according to the Daily Mail reporter Sami Mokbel.
The journalist is known to have strong Arsenal connections, having also been credited for stories by David Ornstein, so his information about the club’s transfer targets is likely to be accurate.
He suggests that the Gunners are considering Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee and Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres as possible options in addition to the likes of Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Brentford’s Ivan Toney.
One of the main reasons that a new No.9 is seen as a priority is due to ongoing concerns about the fitness of Gabriel Jesus, who is struggling to overcome a knee injury.
What do Arsenal fans need to know about Zirkzee and Gyokeres?
Zirkzee has attracted the attention of scouts since moving to Bologna from Bayern Munich last summer. The Dutchman has scored 10 goals in 28 appearances so far this campaign.
Bayern reportedly have a €40m (£34m) buyback clause on the forward but the Bundesliga side are not expected to re-sign him.
Gyokeres, meanwhile, has been on fire since joining Sporting from Coventry City, having hit the back of the net 30 times and provided 11 assists in only 33 matches.
Other Premier League clubs will be in the mix
Reports in the German media have linked Manchester United with Zirkzee, while there has been constant speculation about Chelsea’s interest in Gyokeres.
The same two teams have been mentioned as potential suitors for Osimhen and Toney as well, which indicates that Arsenal may have a fierce battle to secure any of the forwards currently on their shortlist. Considering they could be the only ones with Champions League football next season, though, they may have a big advantage over their competitors.
