AI gives Arsenal ideal striker shortlist that includes Premier League stars and former West Ham back-up

Mikel Arteta loves unusual methods to get ahead of his rivals, so there’s no doubt at all the Arsenal manager is all over AI.

Whether it’s a club dog, unusual whiteboard drawings or giant speakers at training, the boss is constantly trying to get ahead of the curve, and his next trick will have to be the best yet.

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That’s why talkSPORT asked PLAIER to try and predict his next step – specifically where the Gunners will be aiming to put their summer funds.

AI is rapidly becoming a factor in all of our lives, with large data models giving us timely info from an incredible range of sources with just a simple question.

Yet it doesn’t take a computer to work out where Arteta needs to improve.

In fact, even the most pessimistic of Arsenal fans will be able to acknowledge that one striker in the summer could change everything.

The north London side exited the Champions League at the semi-final stage to Paris Saint-Germain and will end the season trophyless for the fifth time in a row.

Despite the optimism and progress under Arteta, Gooners had been fearing a slump in form as they’ve been without a recognised forward since early February – a point which is even debatable if you consider Kai Havertz to fit that billing.

Goal-shy Gabriel Jesus is out until November, meaning the leading candidates for the ‘missing piece of the puzzle’ cliche in the Premier League are just one step away from getting it.

So, let’s throw conventional scouting out of the window and see what PLAIER suggests, using centre-forwards under the age of 28.

Alexander Isak (Newcastle United)

To repeat ourselves, you don’t need a computer for this one.

Isak has arguably been the breakout centre forward in Europe’s big five leagues this season, finally fulfilling the promise that made Borussia Dortmund sign him from the Swedish league as a scrawny 17-year-old back in 2017.

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Second in the Premier League’s scoring charts with 23 goals, he’s joint top with Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland on 19 when you take away penalties.

There’s a nostalgia factor with Isak’s style so similar to the Gunners’ best ever – Thierry Henry – plus plausibility plays into it too.

Manchester City won’t be outbidding Arsenal as they have Haaland and the same can be said of Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappe or Bayern Munich and Harry Kane.

Really this is the summer to go for the Swede, and pay the big bucks to get there ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea.

Rodrigo Muniz (Fulham)

Arsenal fans may turn their nose up at this one with Muniz perhaps perceived as a level below what they require at a mid-table side challenging for Europe.

The 24-year-old Brazilian has eight goals this season and an assist, but has done so with limited chances as only eight of his 31 appearances have come in the starting line-up.

A far cheaper option than an Isak, he could join alongside another striker, while his biggest asset is his big game performances.

Muniz has scored against Champions League challengers Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle this season, as well as Arsenal themselves, showcasing the kind of steely mentality that is invaluable for a title challenging squad.

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Toni Martinez (Alaves)

This one’s come out of nowhere, particularly if you didn’t bother watching West Ham’s cup matches in 2017.

Spanish striker Martinez made three appearances for the Hammers before a loan to Oxford and has since had a respectable career, particularly in Portugal with Porto.

However, this year in Spain with Alaves he has just four goals, but it seems AI isn’t so fussed about that.

The 27-year-old is still a menace in the box, and could well be the guy to get the best out of Arsenal’s attackers like Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

Martinez wins a massive 7.20 aerial duels per game, 4,34 shots and 6.81 touches in the opposition penalty area.

Those figures are elite compared to the rest of Europe and put him in the top one per cent.

His defensive figures are also impressive, and while his scoring isn’t, this is clearly a player who’s too good for Alaves, and could well have a career path like Joselu did to win the Champions League and LaLiga with Real Madrid last season.

Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting CP)

Sporting sensation Gyokeres is so good he’s leading the European Golden Boot race this season with the maths against him.

Due to the Primeira Liga not being a top five league his goals are worth a quarter less than the rest in the race for Europe’s scoring award, but he’s still above Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah nonetheless.

The 26-year-old, formerly of Brighton, Swansea and Coventry, has a staggering 44 goals and seven assists in 39 games this season and has turned from a boy into a man in astonishing scenes.

The easy comparison for the towering blonde Scandinavian is Haaland, but it’s also an apt one as he comes up with every type of finish and dominates the penalty box.

Concerns may come over the quality of the league, but players like Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves continue to prove Portugal is one of the best talent factories going, making this a far less risky move than it would have been five or ten years ago.

Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray)

The story of Osimhen is a bizarre one, but that could end up being a positive for Arsenal.

The Nigerian became part of footballing folklore in the 2022/23 season when he was Napoli’s key man alongside Khvicha Kvaratskhelia with 31 goals clinching their first Serie A title since Diego Maradona’s era 33 years earlier.

He and the club came to a seemingly mutually beneficial agreement to massively up his salary to keep him around and sell for more, but Napoli fell to pieces the next season and it turned out both parties were in trouble.

A series of disastrous managerial appointments made the 2023/24 campaign a write off, but Osimhen still found the net with impressive consistency despite some injury troubles.

Yet his contract became too much of a burden, and clubs who were in negotiations like Chelsea didn’t want to take a risk, despite plenty evidence he’s still one of Europe’s best strikers.

On loan at Galatasaray this season he hasn’t let off with 33 goals the best total of his career.

It’s clear whoever signs him will get one of the game’s best marksmen at a decent fee, but it’s whether Arsenal want to take on that contract and those wages to solve their striking problems.

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