Thanks to their defeat to Liverpool at the start of the month, Arsenal spent the FA Cup weekend preparing for their next Premier League match against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday evening; however, thanks to their spectacular 5-0 win over Crystal Palace last time out, morale should be high around the team.
The flurry of goals against the south Londoners helped to steady the ship after a rough few weeks, and a brace for the out-of-form Gabriel Martinelli was the perfect way to end the game.
The young Brazilian played like a man possessed last season, notching up 15 goals and five assists in 34 league starts, so his return of just four goals and two assists this season has left some fans and pundits concerned about his development and place in the side.
While the Thierry Henry-esque brace against the Eagles should help quieten those concerns for a while, there is a chance that the 22-year-old could lose his place in the side if his form doesn't improve, especially as several players who can fulfil his role have been linked to the club this month, so let's take a look at three of them.
1 Federico Chiesa – Juventus
The first name to look at is a £69m star who was linked to the club last month and helped break English hearts three and a half years ago: Federico Chiesa.
As well as making regular appearances for Juventus over the last few years, the former Fiorentina man was an integral part of the Italy side that came from nowhere to win the 2020 European Championship at Wembley, beating England on penalties to secure a famous win.
The explosive "wizard", as football podcaster Roger Bennett dubbed him, played in every game at the tournament and started four of them – including the final – scoring two goals on the way to continental glory.
However, his time in Turin has been mixed, with an Italian Cup victory and a Super Cup victory the only accolades he has picked up with the Old Lady. However, to be fair to him, he joined the team as their domestic dominance began to slide.
His overall personal record in Serie A is quite impressive, with 44 goals and 41 assists in 219 games, which averages out to 0.38 goal involvements every game.
Appearances
219
Goals
44
Assists
41
Goal Involvements per appearance
0.38
While it would be an expensive deal to complete, it might well be worth it to add a dynamic winger with a winning mentality to the side.
2 Kaoru Mitoma – Brighton & Hove Albion
The next name on the list is one that has only recently been touted for a move to the Emirates and for a fee that could reach as high as £70m: Brighton & Hove Albion's Kaoru Mitoma.
The Japanese magician has been dazzling fans in the Premier League ever since making his debut for the Seagulls last season when he racked up seven goals and five assists in his 24 starts – stepping into the void left by Leandro Trossard when he joined the Gunners last January.
The 26-year-old simply picked up where he left off this season and has already scored three goals and provided four assists in just 13 starts for Roberto De Zerbi's brilliantly entertaining south coast side.
The "insane" winger, as described by data analyst Ben Mattinson, has been just as impressive for his national team as he was named the Japanese Player of the Year for 2022 and 2023 by the Japan Pro-Footballers Association.
Moreover, when directly comparing his underlying numbers from this season to Martinelli's, the tricky Brighton man comes out ahead in almost every metric and by quite some way in a few, such as successful take-ons and progressive carries per 90.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.39
0.39
Goals
0.20
0.28
Assists
0.27
0.14
Progressive Carries
7.41
5.79
Progressive Passes
4.01
3.24
Shots on Target
0.89
0.90
Passing Accuracy
79.9%
77.2%
Goal-Creating Actions
0.61
0.48
Successful Take-Ons
2.38
1.86
Ball Recoveries
4.29
4.00
Ultimately, while this deal would be even more expensive than the one for Chiesa, the Arsenal faithful could rest assured that Mitoma would take no time to adapt to Premier League football, and with former teammate Christian Burgess claiming that he "finishes like Thierry Henry" what's not to love?
3 Xavi Simons – Paris Saint-Germain (RB Leipzig)
Earlier this month, German publication BILD (via Sport Witness) reported that Arsenal were 'in the picture' to sign the incredibly talented Xavi Simons from Paris Saint-Germain this year.
Now, unlike Martinelli and the other two players on this list, the young Dutchman isn't exclusively a left-winger, but he has spent almost as much time operating on the left side of a front three as he has anywhere else on a football pitch in his short career.
The 20-year-old is currently on loan with RB Leipzig, and while he only rejoined the Parisians from PSV Eindhoven in the summer, he could be available for as little as £43m, which could be a bargain for Arsenal in the current market.
The dazzlingly spectacular gem was described as "one of the most exciting teenagers in world football" by Mattinson in the summer, and based on his performances in the Netherlands last season and in East Germany this season, it's practically impossible to disagree.
In just 34 Eredivisie starts last term, the then-teenager scored a staggering 19 goals and provided eight assists and this season, he has already scored five goals and provided seven assists in just 18 starts.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.47
0.39
Goals
0.31
0.28
Assists
0.44
0.14
Progressive Carries
4.44
5.79
Progressive Passes
5.69
3.24
Shots on Target
1.06
0.90
Passing Accuracy
77.8%
77.2%
Shot-Creating Actions
5.69
4.13
Goal-Creating Actions
0.81
0.48
Successful Take-Ons
2.44
1.86
His underlying numbers are also just as impressive as you would expect with output such as that, and worryingly for Martinelli, football's new Flying Dutchman has him beat in almost every relevant metric, and – just like with Mitoma – substantially so in multiple areas such as successful take-ons, goal-creating actions, assists per 90 and many more.
At the end of the day, all three of these players would improve Arsenal's squad, but in terms of value for money and ensuring the team is well-stocked for the long term, there really isn't a better option than Simons.