Gunners' striker issues on show at Old Trafford
Prior to Sunday's 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford, Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville questioned the decision not to bring in a new striker over the past few years, branding it "poor recruitment".
Mikel Merino once again had to lead the line against United, with Kai Havertz set to miss the remainder of the season with injury, but the Spaniard struggled to have an impact, failing to score for the third game on the spin in the Premier League.
Gabriel Jesus is the only other senior striker at Mikel Arteta's disposal, but Neville believes the manager isn't a big fan of the Brazilian, meaning signing a new forward in the summer may be one of the Spaniard's main priorities.
A number of targets have been identified, including Benjamin Sesko and Victor Osimhen, and a report from The Boot Room has now revealed Arsenal scouts are also watching Inter Milan's Marcus Thuram.
Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez celebrates with Marcus Thuram after the match
The Gunners watched Thuram in action in the Champions League recently, and they are likely to be impressed by what they saw, given that he scored in his side's 2-0 victory against Feyenoord.
Chelsea and Liverpool scouts were also in attendance to run the rule over the striker, so there may be competition for his signature this summer, should the north Londoners decide to formalise their interest.
However, a deal will not be cheap, as the Frenchman has a release clause of just over £70m included in his contract, and the Italian club want to enter talks to remove or increase that figure.
"World-class" Thuram enjoying another impressive season
The 27-year-old has been a regular source of goals and assists for Inter since arriving from Borussia Mönchengladbach, following up a solid debut campaign by scoring 15 goals in all competitions this season, including two in the Champions League.
Barring an injury-marred 2021-22 campaign, the Parma-born striker has impressed in front of goal over the course of the past six seasons, and there are signs he is entering his prime, given that he is on course to have his most prolific campaign to date.
Season
League appearances
Goals
Assists
2019-20
31
10
7
2020-21
29
8
3
2021-22
21
3
0
2022-23
30
13
6
2023-24
35
13
8
2024-25
27
13
4
As shown, the France international regularly chips in with assists, which may be one of the reasons he was compared to compatriot Thierry Henry by Arsenal legend Wenger. More recently, the Inter star has also received high praise from journalist Zach Lowy.
Arsenal's recent drop-off indicates they may need to bring in a top striker if they are to compete for the Premier League title next season, and Thuram's performances this season indicate he could be in that category.
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