David Ornstein names 2 strikers Arsenal might sign and 2 they won't

Arsenal will be on the lookout for a striker this summer having failed to land on in the January transfer window. Mikel Arteta paid a bitter price, losing both Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz to injury, and this season’s Premier League title bid was lost shortly after.

The Gunners can still make a success of this season, currently at the semi-final stage of the Champions League, facing PSG in their first leg on Tuesday night, but if they don’t win that competition, they will finish this campaign trophy-less, coming up well short of expectations.

Injuries have been blamed, but Arsenal can’t afford to find themselves in this position again, and Arteta may even come under pressure if his side continue to fall short, especially given the money the Gunners have spent over recent years. New sporting chief Andrea Berta has been brought in in a bid to help more efficient spending and squad planning, with Edu and Arteta seemingly falling out on the back of the summer window.

The search for a striker will already have begun with the position an undoubted priority, while Arsenal also need to strengthen a number of other areas, especially in the way of depth.

A striker is not going to come cheap, and there aren’t all that many elite striker that the Gunners can hope to rely on for regular goals. Alexander Isak is likely to stay at Newcastle United, and Victor Osimhen might prove too pricey, although his future appears to be up in the air.

RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko continues to be linked, and Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP could yet be an option, albeit likely a pricey one. Speaking on NBC Sports, journalist David Ornstein said: “Arsenal will also look to strengthen in attack, players such as Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting Lisbon, Benjamin Sesko on the radar. Don’t think Alexander Isak is going to be realistic. Nor the likes of Victor Osimhen and any other names you hear swirling around.”

That update goes against what pundit Joe Cole has requested of the Gunners, encouraging the London club to buy Osimhen. He told The Dressing Room Podcast: “Osimhen, I know he’s had this little strange one where he’s gone to Turkey and he’s banging in goals. But he looks perfect for Arsenal for me. Isak yeah, but why would he go to Arsenal now? If Newcastle could spend more, I can’t see Isak being an option, Osimhen is the one for me for Arsenal.”

Arsenal are likely to go against that advice, and if they go with Sesko, there would be an element of risk. Sesko fits their system well, but they already have a player who can fulfil that role in Havertz. What they need as an undeniable goalscorer, and Sesko is not that, the 21-year-old managing a respectable 26 goals in 60 league games for RB Leipzig, but that’s a far from prolific record.

Gyokeres has 62 goals in 62 league games for Sporting CP, and while you could argue the standard of that league is a little lower than Bundesliga, that’s still an extremely difficult scoring record to amass, and the Sweden international has already proven he has the physicality to manage English football having spent a couple of seasons with Coventry City in the Championship, which is even more physical than the top flight.

Your next Arsenal read, PSG boss defiant ahead of Arsenal after invincible bid destroyed