Arsenal finally got their striker this summer in the shape of Gabriel Jesus, but they went all around the houses before eventually landing the Brazilian.
Indeed, the Gunners had so many striking targets in mind last summer and in January including, but not limited to, Dusan Vlahovic, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Alexander Isak.
However, perhaps the most interesting striker plot Arsenal had was regarding Youssef En-Nesyri.
Indeed, this time last year, Arsenal were reportedly plotting a swap deal that would’ve seen En-Nesyri head to the Emirates in a swap deal for Alexandre Lacazette.
Of course, this transfer never came to fruition due to Lacazette’s re-emergence as Arsenal’s first-choice number nine after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s expulsion, and while this plan going up in smoke would’ve been frustrating at the time, in hindsight, this was probably a blessing in disguise for Arsenal.
This time last year, En-Nesyri was coming off the back of an 18-goal season, but since then, his form has gone down the drain, netting just five league goals last term and failing to find the back of the net this season.
If he’d joined Arsenal in January, not only would he have taken Lacazette’s spot, he probably would’ve stopped Eddie Nketiah from getting his late-season run in the team that eventually convinced the young striker to sign a new contract with Arsenal on £100,000-a-week.
However, if En-Nesyri arrived as the hot new striker in January, it’s hard to imagine Arteta taking the leap of faith on Nketiah in the same way he did at the end of last season, and ultimately, that may have led to the striker leaving the Emirates on a free this summer.
En-Nesyri, as talented as he looked a couple of years ago, hasn’t proven to be at the level of someone like Nketiah over the past 18 months, and Arsenal may want to count their lucky stars that they didn’t proceed with this proposed swap deal 12 months ago.
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