How Arsenal's transfer interest in Chelsea's Noni Madueke impacts move for Eberechi Eze

Arsenal are pushing hard to try and improve their attacking ranks this summer after seeing their goalscoring return collapse last season.

Mikel Arteta's side had been prolific in the previous two seasons, scoring a combined 179 Premier League goals across the two campaigns – in spite of repeated calls from pundits and fans that they needed a new centre-forward.

But that dropped off to a relatively meagre 69 league goals last season, and now the Gunners seem extra keen to bolster their front three options with reports of serious bids for multiple players.

Arsenal keen on trio of new signings including BOTH Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke

When it comes to strikers, that includes Sporting's Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig forward/Deep Space Nine commander Benjamin Sesko.

But Arsenal are also said to be keen to upgrade on the flanks, with Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze and Chelsea's Noni Madueke both linked with moves to the Emirates.

Arsenal's interest in Gyokeres and Sesko seems to be mutually exclusive, with the general feeling being that the latter is merely being kept warm in case Arsenal can't reach an agreement with Sporting for their preferred option, Gyokeres – ranked at no.8 in FourFourTwo's list of the best strikers in the world right now.

That had led Arsenal fans to wonder whether the same might be true of their reported interest in Eze and Madueke: would getting one over the line put the other link to bed?

Apparently not, according to Fabrizio Romano. The journalist claims that both players are wanted by Arsenal together – along with Gyokeres, of course.

Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Noni Madueke remains a concrete option for Arsenal, an important target for Arsenal – but separate from the story regarding Eberechi Eze because, obviously, Eberechi Eze remains a target for Arsenal.

“In that case, I told you almost one week ago, Arsenal made contact with the agents of Eberechi Eze. That remains the case.

“Arsenal are speaking to the player. The player is keen on a move to Arsenal, so Eberechi Eze remains one of the names on the shortlist. But before closing this deal, you need to talk to Crystal Palace [to agree a fee], and that’s not an easy point.

“But, for sure, it’s a separate story from Noni Madueke, separate story also from Viktor Gyokeres.”

In FourFourTwo's view, Getting all those deals done on top of their already-completed move for Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi would give Arteta's side a much-needed new look for next season.

Gyokeres would be expected to take over from Kai Havertz as the first-choice centre-forward, while Eze and Madueke would push Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard down the pecking order. The influential Bukayo Saka would be meanwhile be expected to keep his place on the right wing.

There feels to be a lot more intent and ambition about Arsenal this summer than there was last year, which had to happen after they fell so far short of champions Liverpool last season.

The likes of Trossard, Martinelli and loan flop Raheem Sterling are fine as squad players, but should not be first choice for a club of Arsenal's aspirations – while Havertz and Saka both struggled with significant injuries last season. It's only right that Arsenal should look to upgrade them with (mostly) younger models who they can develop yet further.