They might not have a trophy to show for it just yet, but over the last few years, Arsenal have improved dramatically under Mikel Arteta.
Just a couple of years ago, they were left licking their wounds following a 3-0 defeat in the North London derby that saw them miss out on Champions League football, whereas just a couple of months ago, they were two points from winning the Premier League.
From top to bottom, it feels like the Gunners have been transformed from the butt of people's jokes to a serious threat in every competition they take part in, although the one area of the pitch that feels like it could do with an upgrade is centre-forward.
Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have done admirable jobs there, but no striker has been as prolific as ex-captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was in his pomp, but based on recent reports, Edu Gaspar and Co could be about to land the player to solve that problem.
Arsenal's strikers search
According to a recent report from Portuguese publication Correio da Manha, Arsenal have reignited their interest in Sporting CP's star striker, Viktor Gyokeres.
The report claims that following the Swede's seemingly rapid recovery from his recent knee surgery, the Gunners are again interested in the prolific number nine and will send scouts to watch him play in preseason to see how he gets on.
If the former Coventry City ace appears unaffected by the short layoff, then the story has revealed that a proposal from the North Londoners may arrive in Lisbon in early August, which could see them pay the player's €100m release clause – £84m.
This transfer would represent a massive investment from Arsenal, but given Gyokeres' incredible form, it is well worth making, especially as he could be the club's best striker since Auba.
Why Gyokeres would be Arsenal's best striker in years
It's been just over two and a half years since Aubameyang left Arsenal under a cloud of controversy and general disappointment. While his lacklustre final year and a half with the club can't be ignored, neither can the years of his incredible performances.
In all, the Gabonese superstar scored 92 goals and provided 21 assists in just 163 appearances for the North Londoners, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.44 games – a seriously impressive feat.
In his immediate absence, Alexandre Lacazette took up the role as the club's main striker, but just a few months later, Jesus arrived from Manchester City for £45m and, while his tally of 19 goals and 15 assists in 69 games for the club is impressive, it has nothing on the Gabonese star.
The most recent player to be given the chance to start as the club's main number nine has been Havertz, and while he's looked good in patches, his overall haul of 14 goals and seven assists in 51 games is again incomparable to the former captain's record.
So, that brings us to the Sporting CP "powerhouse", as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, who played like a man possessed last season, racking up 43 goals and 15 assists in 50 appearances, equating to an outrageous average of a goal involvement every 0.86 games.
Appearances
50
51
36
Goals
43
14
8
Assists
15
7
8
Goal Involvements per Match
1.16
0.41
0.44
This incredible output dwarfs the efforts of Arteta's current crop of strikers, and while it's impossible to be sure how well his form would translate to the Premier League, he's currently outperforming Auba at his peak.
Ultimately, Arsenal are in a great position at the moment and have a team full of incredible talents, and should they sign Gyokeres, they'll have a striker to match.
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