Arsenal fans will love what £47.4m striker 'target' just did to Tottenham

Arsenal have been linked with a number of strikers ahead of this summer, with the footballing world well aware that Mikel Arteta and new sporting director Andrea Berta will be prioritising a deal for a new fontman between this season and next.

The Gunners have been left mightily short at the top end of the pitch following the season-ending injuries suffered by Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz. Mikel Merino, usually a midfielder, has been used to plug the gap, and he has done well considering he is playing out of position, most recently producing a fine finish to extend Arsenal’s lead over Real Madrid to three during Tuesday night’s memorable Champions League quarter-final first leg.

But however valiant Merino’s efforts, there is no denying Arsenal’s need for a high-quality striker, and they are already scouring the market for the best options. RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko has been the most heavily linked, while he is perhaps the most likely option given he will become available for around £60million this summer, according to various reports.

Arteta obviously likes Newcastle United superstar Alexander Isak, who has become one of the best strikers in the world, but the chances of the Sweden international becoming available are very small, and especially at a price below £100million or more.

Other alternatives have been linked, and one of them is Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, who has been in fine form this season, scoring 19 goals and assisting eight. Fussball News have previously reported that Arsenal are interested in the striker, while Liverpool and West Ham have also been linked.

It’s not clear how much Ekitike would cost, but his Transfermarkt value has jumped significantly of late to reach £47.4million, and it’s possible Frankfurt would demand even more than that.

Ekitike scores against Spurs

Ekitike was in action on Thursday night in Frankfurt’s Europa League quarter-final first leg with Tottenham in North London, and the striker opened the scoring with an unstoppable strike from outside the box to find the bottom corner. Arsenal and other clubs will be watching closely, and if they are interested, they will surely be impressed by the fact he is showing he can score on English soil.

Speaking to the Bundesliga website about his role recently, Ekitike said: "I was already quite free before. It’s just that when he was here, we had to share responsibilities. When you’re the only striker, the team plays more for you, and there’s more pressure on me because he was involved in many goals and assists. Now, people are expecting me to do the same."

On his good form in his first two seasons with the club, he added: "Sometimes I sit at home and think, 'Wow, it’s been a year already.' I’ve gone through all the stages - starting on the bench, coming on as a sub, getting my first starts. I’m lucky to be playing regularly now. As I always say: I’m happy, but I want more. I want to score more, assist more. I’m still hungry."

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