However, recent reports have touted a different striker altogether for a move to North London, and he’s a forward who could be unreal alongside Martin Odegaard.
Arsenal’s striker search
According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal have drawn up a list of striker targets for this summer, and one of the main names on the list is LOSC Lille star Jonathan David.
There is no mention of how much a deal for the Canadian superstar may cost the North Londoners, but a report from the Guardian last month revealed that he could be available for as little as £20m due to his contract expiring next summer.
While this is brilliant news for the Gunners, it’s less than ideal that the same report claims Chelsea, Manchester United, West Ham United, and Tottenham Hotspur also want the 24-year-old.
This level of interest could make signing David complicated, but for the supposed fee and based on his recent form, this is a transfer Arsenal cannot miss out on – especially as he could be incredible alongside Odegaard.
Why David would be a great teammate for Odegaard
Now, there are probably countless reasons why David would be a fantastic signing and a brilliant teammate for Odegaard, but there is one incredibly straightforward one: his output.
Last season, the Canadian superstar scored 26 goals and provided nine assists for his teammates in just 47 appearances, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.34 games for a club that didn’t even finish in the top three.
This incredible form wasn’t just down to a one-off season in which everything went his way, either. Over the four campaigns, the 5 foot 9 marksman has found the back of the net on 84 occasions in 183 club appearances and provided 18 assists to boot.
So, if the “mind-blowing” striker, as talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him, can maintain such an impressive level of performance for a side not really challnging for the league or a title in Europe, imagine what he could do in this current Arsenal team, and in particular, with the club’s Norwegian wizard behind him.
The former Real Madrid wonderkid scored 11 goals and 11 assists in 48 games last season, equating to a goal involvement every 2.18 games on average, and was named the club’s Player of the Season.
Moreover, according to FBref, which ranks players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, the mercurial talent sits in the top 1% of midfielders for shot-creating actions and touches in the penalty area, the top 2% for progressive passes, the top 3% for non-penalty expected goals and assists, and the top 4% for total shots and actual assists,
