The five best free agent strikers Arsenal could target

Memphis Depay, 27, on international duty with Holland 

The five best free agent strikers Arsenal could target: Could Memphis Depay be tempted into a move to Arsenal?  

By Jonny Bray

People may say that if there’s one position Arsenal don’t need to invest in this summer it’s in attack. 
The Gunners have Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah while Gabriel Martinelli and Nicolas Pepe both offer options despite usually being deployed on the wing.   
However, despite high-quality personnel, Arsenal scored only the ninth most goals of any club in the Premier League last season with a total of 55.  
This is the lowest Arsenal have finished in the goals scored rankings since the 1994/95 season and suggests that either there is a problem with the system, or a problem with the personnel.   
Aubameyang had his worst season in an Arsenal shirt, scoring just 10 league goals, his lowest tally since the 2010/11 season.  
In contrast, Lacazette had maybe his best season since joining the club, but he still did not offer enough in terms goals and assists.   
The Frenchman scored 13 goals in 31 appearances, one less than his best total in a Premier League season of 14.   
Meanwhile, Martinelli was injured for much of the season and Nketiah was widely criticised for his performances.
For that reason, Arsenal should be looking to bolster their ranks if they can, preferably as an alternative to Nketiah and Martinelli rather than as a replacement for Aubameyang or Lacazettte.   
Here are the five best options the market has to offer for free this summer.   

Memphis Depay   

Memphis Depay, 27, is a wanted man this transfer window having been linked with the likes of Barcelona and Juventus.   
The Dutch striker and former Manchester United player has starred for Lyon for several years, rehabilitating his reputation after a difficult two seasons at Old Trafford.   
Like Pepe and Martinelli, he offers an option on the wing as well as striker and has the x factor that this Arsenal side are screaming out for.   
Whilst Stan Kroenke has at times been reluctant to pen his chequebook to pay expensive transfer fees, he’s often been willing to sign players over the age of 25 to massive contracts.  
Depay has scored 63 goals in 139 Ligue 1 appearances, including 20 this season, his best total at the club.   

Rafael Santos Borré  

Rafael Santos Borré isn’t a household name in England and with good reason.   
The 25-year-old has scored 31 goals in 80 appearances for River Plate and has been linked with Watford and Lazio.   
However, he could be a shrewd acquisition for Arsenal, were the Gunners to make a move for the Colombian international.   
He would not demand the big wages of some of the high-profile European stars would but could bring just as much quality and arguably more hunger than most players available on the free transfer market.   
The forward had a brief spell at Atletico Madrid but made no appearances for the club and had loan spells at Deportivo Cali and Villarreal.   
He has three caps for Colombia and could offer an excellent alternative or replacement for Nketiah.     

Joshua King

Joshua King has had a strange three years.  
He has gone from being a target for Manchester United and having a £50 million price tag on his head to being released by Everton having only made eleven Premier League appearances. 
He scored 48 goals in 173 league appearances for Bournemouth where he was a fan favourite and was clearly a top-quality player.   
However, after their relegation he appears to have lost his form, but as is so often said, form is temporary, and class is permanent.   
His wage demands would have dropped significantly after a difficult 12 months on Merseyside, and so it could be another case of fantastic value for money for a player who would ideally offer a superior alternative to Nketiah or Martinelli.     

Marcos Paulo   

Marcos Paulo is a Portugal U19 international who’s been targeted by Atletico Madrid this summer. 
He is still only 20, and despite not having played much he’s already generating excitement in South America and Europe alike.   
He scored three goals in 20 appearances last season for Fluminense and is expected to make a big splash wherever his next destination may be.   

Alex Teixeira, 31

Alex Teixeira  

Alex Teixeira, 31, has had quite the career.   
While playing at Shakhtar Donetsk he was one of the hottest properties in European football, however, he joined Chinese side Jiangsu Suning in 2016.   
He performed unsurprisingly well in China, scoring 58 goals in 120 appearances.   
His contract expired on 1st January this year and could be signed immediately.   
He would expect large wages, but if Arsenal paid the money, it would be very exciting to see if Teixeira could recapture his form from 2015/16 Ukrainian Premier League season that made him a European star.

Photo Credit: Getty Images 

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