Arsenal's recruitment has so far been non-existent in the summer transfer window. With Euro 2024 and Copa America in full swing, that's hardly a surprise.

Mikel Arteta and Edu have never unnecessarily spent the club's funds so you can forgive them for being pragmatic in the opening stages of the summer months.

That said, it would not be a surprise if everything was wrapped up by the middle of July. After all, there was a wave of new signings in that month last year, with Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber notably arriving in the same week.

Rice's transfer was hardly a secret but the deal to bring Timber to the Emirates Stadium was kept under wraps a little bit more. So, it's evident that not everything Arsenal are working on in 2024 will be shouted from the rooftops. You'd think, however, that if a new striker arrives there will be a greater sense of know from the fanbase.

So, who could that striker be?

Arsenal's striker shortlist in 2024

Back in January, it looked as though this would be the primary area of concern for the Gunners in 2024. Ivan Toney had been relentlessly linked after a period where Arteta's side struggled to find the net.

However, rumours surrounding the Brentford forward have now gone quiet. Benjamin Sesko, who played for Slovenia against England earlier this week, was the next best bet.

Reports emerged suggesting those behind the scenes at Arsenal were confident of bringing the player to north London but he is now set to stay in Germany with his club side RB Leipzig, signing a new deal too.

So, where to next? Well, the big name doing the rounds at the moment is Viktor Gyokeres of Portuguese side Sporting CP.

The Swede knows English football well for his time with Coventry where he was electric, scoring 22 goals for the Sky Blues during the 2022/23 campaign.

Why, therefore, did English sides not make a move then? They will be cursing their luck after a season where he rippled the net on 43 occasions in 50 outings for the Lisbon outfit.

The rumour mill has been relentless in linking Gyokeres with English shores again, with some reports on the continent even noting that the player is definitely on his way to Arsenal. Whether you believe that or not, we'll leave that up to you.

The knock-on effect of signing Gyokeres

It's hard not to get excited when a new striker signs for your club, particularly when they score goals at such a ridiculous rate of knots.

The cynic in us does wonder whether the Swedish attacker could just be a one-hit wonder but his level of progression in recent years has been superb.

Kai Havertz finally found form last term as a centre-forward - or false 9 - scoring eight times and supplying seven assists in 18 appearances from that role. He offers a wide skill set, ranging from goalscoring, assisting, making selfless runs and holding the ball up to bring others into play.

To put it simply, he has been the perfect foil for the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard, Arsenal's chief goalscorers and creators last term.

That said, Gyokeres is no one trick pony himself. Although his arrival would be bad news for Havertz's hopes of continuing as the focal point of attack, the Sporting sensation is no slouch creatively either, boasting 12 assists in Portugal throughout 2023/24.

Havertz would still surely feel confident about earning enough game time but the same can not be said for Eddie Nketiah who slipped further and further down the pecking order in 2024.

It was his torrid run in front of goal that led to the former Chelsea man even being given a shot up front.

Nketiah did score a hat-trick against relegated Sheffield United back in October but he has not actually scored in domestic action since that happy day. He did find the net in a Champions League clash with PSV in December but has left much to be desired since.

Once Gabriel Jesus returned from injury, he quickly fell to the club's third-choice striker. As a result, it's no surprise to see him linked with the exit door.

talkSPORT revealed earlier this week that the Londoners have slapped a mega £50m price tag on his head amid interest from Crystal Palace, Southampton and West Ham.

Whether anyone pays that price remains to be seen but if someone of Gyokeres' calibre does arrive, the chance of Arsenal's no.14 earning any minutes next term are slim.

For the good of his career, he needs to leave, and for the good of the team, he needs to head through the exit door. The £100k-per-week earner's record in front of goal, scoring six goals in 37 matches last season is not good enough for a team challenging for major honours.