The £70m signing that can help Arsenal win the Premier League title next season

Arsenal just keep edging closer and closer to ending their two-decade wait to land the Premier League title.

Last season, there was progress without question as Mikel Arteta continued to develop his squad - but Manchester City were comfortable winners by the time the final whistle was blown on what had been a thrilling campaign at both clubs. The two sides have gone head-to-head once again this year and there is no doubt the Gunners have closed the gap on Pep Guardiola’s men, despite falling narrowly short on the final day of the season.

To his credit, Arteta has pushed his fellow countryman as close as many have been able to do and his squad looks in a strong position to continue taking steps forward when the new season gets underway in August. Although there is room for improvement within the Gunners ranks, there should also be an appreciation of what has taken them so close to a title triumph.

In David Raya, who will complete a permanent move to the Emirates Stadium after a successful loan spell, Arteta seems to possess a goalkeeper he can trust to be integral in his preferred style of play. Ben White has shown signs of developing into a consistent full-back and centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel have put together a partnership that should be the envy of clubs around Europe. Declan Rice has more than lived up to the £105m price tag placed upon him not 12 months ago and Kai Havertz has started to prove the doubters wrong by hitting some sort of form. In Bukayo Saka and the exemplary Martin Odegaard, Arteta has a creative spark that can unlock the meanest of defences and apply control and composure in the heat of battle.

So where is the improvement to be found if Arsenal are to end that title drought? First and foremost, Arteta will want to boost the strength in depth of his squad as they look to challenge on a number of fronts and there could be the introduction of a number of academy graduates who have been impressing in the Gunners second string this season. However, despite the presence of Gabriel Jesus, there is a feeling Arsenal need to find a consistent goalscorer if they are to get over the line in their bid for title success next season.

There is no coincidence when there have been widespread links suggesting the Gunners have shown interest in the likes of Newcastle United star Alexander Isak, RB Leipzig youngster Benjamin Sesko and Napoli hotshot Victor Osimhen. A leading frontman is clearly on the agenda for Arteta and his recruitment staff and they could find all of the attributes they require in a striker that has one of the best strike rates in European football this season.

It seems remarkable to think Viktor Gyokeres was plying his trade in the Championship just 12 months ago as Coventry City fell narrowly short in their bid for promotion to the Premier League. After scoring 43 goals in 116 appearances for the Sky Blues, the Sweden international made a £20m move to Portuguese giants Sporting CP and has taken to life in the Primeira Liga in stunning fashion.

After marking his league debut with a brace in a 3-2 home win against Vizela, Gyokeres has plundered his way to 43 goals and 15 assists in 49 appearances in all competitions and played a leading role in Sporting’s successful title challenge. In averaging a goal contribution in every 76.03 minutes, the former Brighton and Hove Albion striker has a record that can sit alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane after they hit remarkable form for Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich respectively.

Of course, many will point to the strength in depth of Portugal’s top flight compared to other European leagues and there is some value in such an argument. But Gyokeres’ still racks up some impressive statistics that comfortably place him alongside many of world football’s leading strikers and prove just why he could be the man to solve Arsenal’s forward deficiencies. His percentage of shots on target over the season sits above the likes of Kane, Haaland and Mbappe and his expected assists sit above that trio at 0.24 per game. The same can be said of goals and shot creation, with Gyokeres average of 4.08 per game sitting narrowly ahead of Mbappe’s 4.04 and comfortably above Kane’s 2.63 and Haaland’s 2.05.

Despite proving his worth in the Primeira Liga, there is a need for Gyokeres to prove himself in the Premier League after he failed to make an appearance in English football’s top tier during his time with Brighton and was unable to help Coventry to promotion last season. However, after hitting form with Sporting and finding the net with regularity in the league, Europa League and Taca de Portugal (Portuguese Cup), he has shown all of the attributes to show he would be up for the challenge of leading the Gunners line in their bid for a Premier League title.