However, in Europe, there is now a real feeling that Mikel Arteta's side could go all the way in the Champions League after dismantling Real Madrid in the first leg of their quarter-final earlier this week.
arsenal-real-madrid-champions-league
Yet, as well as the team played on Tuesday, there was still one starter who was a little underwhelming and even received a 6/10 match rating from the Express' Charlie Parker-Turner: Martin Odegaard.
It's been a campaign to forget for the Gunners' captain and two-time Player of the Season, but based on recent reports, the club could sign someone in the summer who may well get him back to his very best next season.
Martin-Odegaard-Arsenal
Arsenal transfer news
Surprisingly, given their immense record at the back and need for attacking reinforcements, one of the players most recently touted for a move to the Emirates this summer has been Dean Huijsen.
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Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The Bournemouth star, whom FBref has places in the top 1% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues for interceptions and the top 2% for non-penalty expected goals plus assists per 90, reportedly has a £50m release clause in his contract.
However, fans shouldn't worry as the North Londoners also seem hell-bent on signing a new striker as well, with Benjamin Sesko reportedly still on their list of targets, per David Ornstein.
RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko before taking a penalty
Yet it appears that another striker from the continent has now jumped ahead of the Slovenian on the Gunners' list of transfer targets, someone who could get Odegaard back to his best: Viktor Gyokeres.
Yes, according to a recent report from the Portuguese outlet A Bola, Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in the Sporting CP star.
In fact, the report goes a step further, revealing that the Premier League side have now prepared an offer for the player, who could leave the Lisbon outfit for anything from €70m - £61m - to €100m - £87m.
So, it would require an extraordinary amount of money to sign Gyokeres this summer, but given his immense ability, it would be worth it, especially as he could get the best out of Odegaard again.
Why Gyokeres would revive Odegaard
So, it's no secret that Odegaard has struggled somewhat this season. Compared to his 23 goal involvements in 48 games last year, he currently has just 13 in 35 games.
Odegaard-Arsenal-Man-United
So, with that said, how would Gyokeres help him get back to his best, if not beyond it? Well, the simple answer is his output.
Since moving to Portugal in the summer of 2023, the former Coventry City star has been a lean, mean goalscoring machine, and even when Ruben Amorim left earlier this season, he's continued to be simply unstoppable.
Gyokeres since 23/24
Appearances
94
Minutes
7689'
Goals
87
Assists
26
Goal Involvements per Match
1.20
Minutes per Goal Involvement
68.04'
All Stats via Transfermarkt
For example, since the start of last season, the "ball-striking monster," as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, has scored a simply staggering 87 goals and provided 26 assists in 94 appearances, totalling 7689 minutes.
In other words, the Stockholm-born "powerhouse," as dubbed by Mattinson, has maintained an average of 1.2 goal involvements every game, or one every 68.04 minutes, since moving to Lisbon.
Moreover, he's also been incredible in Europe's top competition, the Champions League, and has a tally of six goals in just eight appearances, including a hat trick against Manchester City.
So, just imagine a striker as deadly and powerful as the Swede starting ahead of Odegaard next season, the Norwegian's assist numbers would go through the roof.
Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres celebrates after the match
Moreover, if the Gunners had a more clinical frontline this year, he'd already have more, as, according to Understat, his four league assists this term have come from an expected assists figure of 6.16.
Ultimately, Odegaard is an incredibly talented player who has not enjoyed a particularly good season, but with someone like Gyokeres in the team next year, he could bounce back and remind everyone why he's the club's captain.
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