Mario Gotze’s agent Volker Struth made it known that Bayern Munich will trigger his release clause of £31.5m. Borussia Dortmund will lose their star attacking midfielder, who already has been capped 22 times for Germany at the age of 20.

Just as it appeared Arsenal were finally ready to pay up and buy world class talent, Munich snapped him up. Is this the end of the world for Arsenal though? The answer is no. Here is a list of players that Arsenal should now turn their attention to…

#1 Lars Bender

The 23-year-old central midfielder is a solid option for Arsenal. His best qualities are tackling, intercepting passes and marking. Arsenal frankly never replaced Alex Song, and he would fit into that role perfectly. He is a young player with a great work rate that would give Arsenal more of a presence in the middle of the park.

#2 Stevan Jovetic

Jovetic would be a big, big signing for Arsenal if they end up paying his reported £25 million transfer fee. Olivier Giroud has been Arsenal’s only true striker this season, with Podolski, Walcott, and Gervinho all looking more comfortable out on the wing.

Jovetic is textbook Arsenal. He is very comfortable on the ball, and has great passing and dribbling ability. Arsenal need a striker who can score over 20 goals next season, and Jovetic could very well be that man.

#3 Julio Cesar

Wojciech Szczesny simply isn’t a world class keeper yet, and if Arsenal want win trophies, they need one. Szczesny is a fantastic keeper, but Arsenal can’t afford the time it will take him to grow.

Julio Cesar would be a fantastic signing for the Gunners. The 33-year-old has 67 caps for Brazil and would bring much needed leadership to the side. He has been one of the only standout players in the relegation doomed QPR side this season. Cesar would be a huge asset due to the Champions League experience he got while playing for Inter Milan.