Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has thanked fans for their support after testing positive for the coronavirus.

The Spaniard also praised the Premier League for their decision to suspend the competition until at least April 3 because of the pandemic:

Thanks for your words and support.Feeling better already.We’re all facing a huge & unprecedented challenge.Everyone’s health is all that matters right now.Protect each other by following the guidelines & we’ll come through this together.Well done PL for making the right decisions pic.twitter.com/0rnwHmQWha

— Mikel Arteta (@m8arteta) March 13, 2020

Arsenal confirmed on Thursday that Arteta had received a positive test and would self-isolate along with the first-team squad and a "significant number" of other staff from the club's London Colney training ground.

Arteta's diagnosis prompted the Premier League to set up an emergency meeting regarding fixtures that were due to go ahead on March 13 to 15.

Arsenal's game against Brighton & Hove Albion, scheduled for Saturday at the Amex Stadium, was subsequently postponed.

Brighton chief executive Paul Barber sent a message of goodwill to Arteta in a club statement:

"First and foremost our thoughts are with Mikel Arteta and we wish him a speedy recovery. It's absolutely essential the health and wellbeing of individuals takes priority and with that in mind Saturday’s match has been postponed. We apologise to all fans for any inconvenience but trust everyone will understand that we are all facing an unprecedented situation."

The Premier League also announced its decision to suspend the competition until April 4.

Arsenal also saw Wednesday's Premier League game with Manchester City called off because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The Gunners confirmed that it was a "precautionary measure" after some personnel came into contact with Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis, who has tested positive for the virus.

Arteta is not believed to have contracted the virus from Marinakis, according to Simon Collings and Matt Davies at the Evening Standard.

A number of other Premier League teams have also been affected by the coronavirus.

Chelsea partially closed their training facility after winger Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive. The 19-year-old has said that he is self-isolating but has recovered in a video on Twitter.

Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers told reporters on Thursday that three players are in self-isolation after showing symptoms, while Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy is also self-isolating after a family member was hospitalised with coronavirus symptoms, per BBC Sport.

Everton and Bournemouth have also announced staff are self-isolating as a coronavirus precaution, per Reuters.

Brighton & Hove Albion have confirmed their Premier League game against Arsenal on Saturday has been postponed after Gunners manager Mikel Arteta contracted the coronavirus. 

The club shared the news on their official website on Thursday night, with chief executive Paul Barber providing a statement:

"First and foremost, our thoughts are with Mikel Arteta, and we wish him a speedy recovery. It's absolutely essential the health and wellbeing of individuals takes priority, and with that in mind Saturday's match has been postponed.

"We apologise to all fans for any inconvenience but trust everyone will understand that we are all facing an unprecedented situation.

"The Premier League has announced this evening that they will convene an emergency meeting of all clubs tomorrow morning, and we will update supporters on future fixtures as and when we are in a position to do so."

The news from Brighton comes ahead of any further decision regarding the cancellation of Premier League matches. 

On Thursday, the Premier League said initially that it expected fixtures to go ahead as normal over the weekend. However, the positive test for Arteta has potentially changed that stance:

Timeline:

10pm @PremierLeague announce fixtures continue

10.17pm Arsenal reveal Mikel Arteta tests positive for coronavirus

10.40pm PL announce an emergency meeting on Friday re postponing weekend fixtures.

11.24 Brighton announce match with Arsenal has been cancelled

— Layth (@laythy29) March 12, 2020

The Premier League is holding an "emergency club meeting" on Friday morning, and a suspension of games is expected:

Premier League emergency phone-conference at 10.30am
*Suspension of several weeks most likely, to take in international break.
*Abandonment unlikely at this stage.
* Hudson-Odoi & Arteta both test positive https://t.co/INjvLAuL9p

— Dan Roan (@danroan) March 13, 2020

Following Arteta's positive test, Arsenal confirmed that those who have recently come into close contact with the manager will self-isolate, including the entire first-team squad. They added that their "Colney and Hale End training centres will undergo a deep clean, and our other club sites are operating as normal."

On Friday morning, Chelsea also confirmed their forward Callum Hudson-Odoi has been diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus.

Per CNN, as of March 13 the coronavirus has now infected around 125,000 people globally, killing in excess of 4,600.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday night, according to a statement on the club's official website.

In the statement, Arsenal detailed the measures taken to protect those who had been in close contact with Arteta and prevent further spread of the virus:

"Arsenal personnel who had recent close contact with Mikel will now self-isolate in line with Government health guidelines. We expect this to be a significant number of people from Colney, including the full first-team squad and coaching staff, as well as a smaller number of people from our Hale End Academy which we have also temporarily closed as a precaution."

The Gunners also believe those who weren't in contact with Arteta can return to work in a few days. Meanwhile, a deep clean of club facilities, including the London Colney training base, has been promised.

Arsenal have also pledged to take advice from a variety of sources, including Public Health England. The latter institution will provide information on keeping other club employees safe.

The Gunners will also consult the Premier League and Football Association to discuss the ramifications for upcoming fixtures. Among those fixtures is the FA Cup quarter-final clash away to Sheffield United on Sunday, March 22.

Before then, Arsenal will make the trip to face Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday.

The match is set to go ahead as things stand after England's top flight confirmed earlier today fixtures would continue to be played:

All Premier League matches will go ahead as scheduled this weekend. pic.twitter.com/nPRlcrPi1I

— Dan Roan (@danroan) March 12, 2020

However, the league has since announced on its official website an "emergency club meeting" will take place Friday to discuss the status of future fixtures.

Arsenal have already had one fixture postponed, a scheduled trip to face Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday. BBC Sport reported how the decision was taken following the Gunners hosting Olympiacos in the UEFA Europa League, with the Greek club's owner, Evangelos Marinakis, subsequently going into self-isolation after confirming he had also contracted the coronavirus.

The World Health Organisation (h/t CNN) has confirmed over 124,500 people have been diagnosed worldwide since the outbreak began.

Arsenal aren't standing pat on the issue of Bukayo Saka's future, according to head coach Mikel Arteta, who has detailed the north London club's attempts to secure its brightest academy talent to a new contract. 

Arteta said: "The club is doing what it has to do and is having conversations. [Hopefully] we'll get it resolved," per Gary Stonehouse of The Sun.

Where Saka plays his football in the long term has become an issue thanks to his breakthrough performances this season. The 18-year-old, who is out of contract in the summer of 2021, has earned plaudits thanks to his pace, technique and eye for goal.

Saka has used those qualities to become an asset in Arteta's best starting XI, despite playing out of position. The natural winger has been used as an auxiliary left-back while Sead Kolasinac and former Celtic star Kieran Tierney have dealt with injuries.

Taking to his new role well, Saka has thrived on all fronts for the Gunners, including helping Arteta's squad reach the last eight of the 2020 FA Cup:

3 - Bukayo Saka has both scored and assisted in three separate games for Arsenal this season (vs
Eintracht Frankfurt, Standard Liège and today against Bournemouth), no other player has done so more than once for the Gunners in 2019-20. Future. #FACup #BOUARS pic.twitter.com/3fzm8AEPgo

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 27, 2020

Saka's awesome potential has led to him setting up 10 goals in all competitions, the mosts assists any Arsenal player has managed so far in this campaign. It's just one of the many benchmarks Saka has set:

Most Premier League minutes played by teenagers this season:

1,710 • 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Max Aarons
1,176 • 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Bukayo Saka
1,028 • 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Dwight McNeil
823 • 🇮🇪 Aaron Connolly
770 • 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Callum Hudson-Odoi

Young Buk. pic.twitter.com/tTHy4TI75N

— SCOUTED (@scoutedftbl) March 9, 2020

The youngest players to start a Premier League game this season:

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Bukayo Saka
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Mason Greenwood
🇧🇷 Gabriel Martinelli
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Billy Gilmour

All born in 2001. 👶 pic.twitter.com/EazStO6PJL

— Squawka (@Squawka) March 8, 2020

Achieving this much at an early age has naturally increased the attention on Saka and led to links with Arsenal's rivals. Among them, Manchester United, Liverpool and even Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich have all been named as suitors.

Keeping Saka away from the interested parties will rely on Arsenal improving the terms for a player who earns £3,000 per week as part of his academy contract. A figure of £35,000 per week was noted by Lloyd Johnson of the Daily Express (h/t Stonehouse) as the Gunners' intended offer.

It wouldn't make Saka one of Arsenal's highest earners by any means, but the new wage may be enough to persuade him to continue his development at a club more than willing to give him chances.

Arteta is right to trust a burgeoning talent who has proved he has the makings of an elite full-back. Staying there would be similar to the journey Ashley Cole made under Arsene Wenger, going from youth-team prospect to title-winning defender.

Alternatively, Saka could put his attributes to better use further forward, as a winger in a front three. It's a position he believes holds the key to his future.

Either way, Saka looks like being an essential building block for Arteta's efforts to reshape the Arsenal squad around young talents, including Saka's fellow academy graduates Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said defender Hector Bellerin has been fighting through the pain barrier "for a few months." 

The full-back has endured a challenging spell with injuries recently, making just seven starts in the Premier League in the 2019-20 season. Bellerin had the second half of the previous campaign wrecked due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament, which delayed the start of 2019-20 for him.

The Gunners have sought to manage his fitness recently, and Bellerin was a late substitute in Saturday's 1-0 win over West Ham United. Speaking to Football.London, the Arsenal boss said Bellerin has been struggling for a while:

"I don't think there is a player now that plays completely free of pain. There is always a niggle, always a pain, always an ankle or something.

"Hector has been having some discomfort for a few months; he has been trying to deal with it all the time, his attitude to try and play and be available has been great, and there is nothing new."

Right-back has been a problem position for the Gunners this season, with neither Arteta nor his predecessor Unai Emery able to field a consistent option in the role.

Not only have they been unable to call on Bellerin for long spells of the season, Calum Chambers suffered a season-ending injury and Cedric Soares has been injured since signing in the January transfer window.

Per Mark Mann-Bryans of the Press Association, Arteta confirmed recently the latter is close to making a return to action though:

Cedric & Mustafi: "I think they will be available to play" #AFC

— Mark Mann-Bryans (@MMBonF1) March 9, 2020

According to Football.London, "Bellerin suffered a further flare up of his thigh injury in the days ahead of the 4-0 win against Newcastle on February 16, a match in which he played the full 90 minutes."

It's no surprise that Arsenal have been careful with the full-back's fitness. Football writer Tim Stillman commented on how long it can take for players to recover fully from injuries as severe as the one Bellerin suffered last term:

Something I wrote about Hector Bellerin and the need for patience with players coming back from ACL injuries. Rob Holding ruptured his a month earlier than Hector and still isn’t playing in the first team. You just have to be patient. https://t.co/r9g2YnufjH

— Tim Stillman (@Stillmanator) March 3, 2020

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Bellerin hasn't looked at full tilt, as James Dall noted after the 2-1 defeat to Olympiacos in the UEFA Europa League:

Also, Bellerin. Is he OK? Looked shot from the first minute last night.

— James Dall (jamesdall.bsky.social) (@JamesDall_) February 28, 2020

At 24, the full-back still has time to rediscover his best form, and he'll be desperate to put together a run of games between now and the end of the campaign. If Arteta can find a way of getting Bellerin back to a level approaching his best, the attacking thrust and intensity he provides will give the team a different dimension.

Arsenal were scheduled to be in action in the Premier League on Wednesday at Manchester City, but the match was postponed due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus.

Dick Advocaat believes reports linking Arsenal with Feyenoord playmaker Orkun Kokcu have validity, but he said the Eredivisie club has yet to hold any talks about a potential transfer.

Advocaat told Fox Sports (h/t Matthew Cooper of the Daily Star): "It seems that what I read is true. But no one has yet come to Feyenoord (to make an offer or hold talks)."

When asked about whether Kokcu would adapt to life in England's top flight, Advocaat offered a confident assertion: "I think he fits everywhere."

Links between Arsenal and Kokcu have been prevalent lately, after MailOnline's Sami Mokbel reported the Gunners were talking to Feyenoord about a deal worth £23 million. Mokbel also noted how Arsenal technical director Edu has earmarked the 19-year-old schemer as a primary target for this summer's transfer window.

Kokcu, who has also been linked with Everton, per Lyall Thomas of Sky Sports, makes sense as a target because he would offer the vision and technique the Gunners lack in midfield. Flair and ingenuity used to be the hallmarks of the Arsenal engine room during Arsene Wenger's time in charge, but the Frenchman's successor Unai Emery took the team in another direction.

Emery led a purge of playmakers that saw Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan all move on. It's left Arsenal suddenly shorn of enough players to make a success of the possession-based game head coach Mikel Arteta prefers.

Arteta played five seasons under Wenger before joining the coaching staff of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. He has adopted a similar philosophy to both since replacing Freddie Ljungberg in the Gunners' dugout on December 26.

22 - There were 22 passes in the build up to Bukayo Saka's opener for Arsenal, involving all 10 outfield players. Breakthrough. #FACup #BOUARS pic.twitter.com/FaYPxQcNGo

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 27, 2020

Reproducing the artful passing game Wenger and Guardiola stayed faithful to hasn't been easy with elegant No. 10 Mesut Ozil lacking support. Ozil has only scored one goal and assisted another on Arteta's watch, while being without a midfield partner on a similar creative wavelength.

Ozil has shown an increased application to press from the front when out of possession, but his struggles to create more chances compound the decision to loan Mkhitaryan to AS Roma. The Armenian has been thriving, scoring six goals and providing four assists.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has provided a goal and an assist in a Serie A game for the first time.

On fire in the first half for Roma. pic.twitter.com/QY52IGsGhj

— Squawka (@Squawka) February 23, 2020

👀 Henrikh Mkhitaryan
🌟 Justin Kluivert

A timely away goal to send us into the last-16! 🖌️🐺👏 #ASRoma pic.twitter.com/xXa4ogAuQt

— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) February 28, 2020

His touch, pace and eye for a pass would be obvious assets for the style Ozil is tasked with bringing to the Gunners. Instead, it's on the ball where Arsenal are lacking, with only Real Madrid loanee Dani Ceballos offering the competence and efficiency required.

The Spaniard stood out during Saturday's 1-0 win at home to West Ham United to continue his upturn in form under Arteta:

Dani Ceballos vs West Ham

121 touches
100 passes
88% pass accuracy
6/7 accurate long balls
1 key pass
1 dribble won
5 tackles won
6 interceptions
8/8 duels won

Great performance. One of Dani's best games in Arsenal shirt. pic.twitter.com/qvEHZUWtfc

— Football Talent Scout - Jacek Kulig (@FTalentScout) March 7, 2020

Adding a player like Kokcu would be a good first step toward rebuilding the Arsenal midfield into the kind of haven for forward-thinking players it used to be. The teenager has two goals and six assists to his credit so far this season, numbers offering evidence of his natural skills with the ball at his feet.

Securing Kokcu's signature would give Arteta another young star, along with 20-year-olds Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson, to develop in the middle.

Arsenal defender Pablo Mari has said he is happy in north London and wants to stay with the club beyond his current loan deal.

The 26-year-old told reporters he is targeting a long stay at the Gunners following his January move from Brazilian side Flamengo:

“I am so happy here. I am going to try and do my best until the end of the season. I hope also the club is happy with me and then we are going to find a good end (of the season) for everybody. I want to play a lot of years here with Arsenal. It is another situation and I am really happy now."

Mari has only played in two games since his winter switch but has helped the Gunners keep clean sheets in both appearances.

He played 90 minutes in the FA Cup fifth-round win at Portsmouth at Fratton Park and followed that up with a home debut in Saturday's Premier League victory over West Ham United:

Welcome to Emirates Stadium, Pablo Mari 😎

🔴 @PabloMV5 ⚪️ pic.twitter.com/Y2NLFBPCj0

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 9, 2020

The Spaniard was brought in to strengthen a struggling Arsenal defence that had looked vulnerable in the first half of 2019-20. The Gunners had also seen Calum Chambers ruled out for the rest of the season with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

Mari has played for a host of clubs in his career, including Real Mallorca and Manchester City, but he arrived at Arsenal after helping Flamengo win the Brazilian Serie A title and the Copa Libertadores in 2019.

Arsenal paid an initial £4 million to bring him to the Emirates Stadium and can make the deal permanent in the summer if they pay another £8 million, according to Sky Sports.

Arsenal writer Dan Critchlow has offered his early thoughts on Mari:

I know it’s Portsmouth, but Pablo Marí completing 13/17 long balls when no other outfield player even attempted 10 shows why Arteta wanted him.

I hope he’s just as good defensively, but the early signs are he’ll do his job in possession as the left-footed LCB, at least.

— Dan Critchlow (@afcDW) March 2, 2020

Manager Mikel Arteta praised Mari after his performance in the 1-0 win over West Ham in his post-match press conference:

"I think he was very good and in the first half he took a few moments to sort out what he needed to do. He's brave, he's willing, he's impressive without the ball and he has a presence. He is very vocal around his team even if he's only been two days here, but he has that ability and that character. I'm really pleased with him."

Mari was widely regarded as something of a gamble when Arsenal brought him in during the January transfer window, but he has made a positive start to his career with the Premier League side.

The Spaniard will be hoping to cement a place in the starting XI between now and the end of the campaign but faces a tough test next time out when Arsenal take on Manchester City on Wednesday at the Etihad Stadium. 

Arsenal have confirmed that Lucas Torreira's season is almost certainly over as a result of the fractured ankle he suffered against Portsmouth on March 2.

The Gunners provided injury updates on several players via their official website and said Torreira is expected to be out for eight to 10 weeks.

As Simon Collings of the Evening Standard observed, that time frame will take him right to the end of the campaign:

Torreira could - at a push - make final League game against Watford on May 17 or FA Cup final (should Arsenal get there) on May 23, but that's effectively him done.

Blow for Arteta, particularly ahead of City, few in the squad who can do the job Torreira does.

— Simon Collings (@sr_collings) March 9, 2020

Torreira suffered the injury early in Arsenal's 2-0 FA Cup win at Fratton Park after being on the receiving end of a challenge from James Bolton.

Football.London's James Benge saw him at the Emirates Stadium for Arsenal's 1-0 victory against West Ham United on Saturday:

Torreira still on crutches as he makes his way to Emirates Stadium players’ lounge

— James Benge (@jamesbenge) March 7, 2020

If his recovery goes as planned, he could still feature for Uruguay at the 2020 Copa America this summer as their campaign does not get under way until June 13, but he'll likely be short of match fitness if he is selected.

Sead Kolasinac can still play a part in the remainder of Arsenal's season despite suffering "significant strain to [his] right shoulder joint" when he collided with Everton's Djibril Sidibe on February 23.

He is targeting a return to full training at the end of March.

Bukayo Saka has been filling in and impressing at left-back in the meantime, while Kieran Tierney returned to full training last week after dislocating his shoulder, so the Gunners still have cover in that position.

Shkodran Mustafi missed the win over West Ham with tightness in his right thigh, and he is being monitored ahead of Arsenal's Premier League clash with Manchester City on Wednesday.

The German has enjoyed a renaissance under Mikel Arteta and was missed against the Hammers, as Collings noted:

Half-time.

Arsenal 0-0 West Ham.

Feels weird writing it, but are Arsenal missing Mustafi? Should be 3-0 West Ham.

— Simon Collings (@sr_collings) March 7, 2020

City are the league's top scorers this season with 68 goals, and they've only failed to score at the Etihad twice in all competitions, so with Mustafi in good form, his absence would be a blow to Arsenal's chances of getting something from the game.

As for Cedric Soares, he is set to return to full training this week as he recovers from a knee injury. The right-back is yet to feature since he arrived in January on loan from Southampton.  

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's future at Arsenal continues to be the subject of doubt, but the Gunners' leading scorer this season sounds like he's still content with life in north London.

Aubameyang, who is out of contract in the summer of 2021, told the Premier League (h/t Darren Wells of the Daily Mirror): "I try to always be ready, whatever happens. I am a guy who tries to be always ready. I love the fans here and when I was younger I used to watch Arsenal because they had always great players, and yeah they won trophies as well. So I think it's really a pleasure to be here, I'm really happy. I think that's the feeling."

Those words should be music to the ears of head coach Mikel Arteta, who is keen to keep Aubameyang in the fold. The 37-year-old has expressed his desire to keep Aubameyang "under any circumstances," per BBC Sport.

Making Arteta's wish a reality won't be easy though, with Aubameyang seeking a contract paying him £300,000 per week, per MailOnline's Matt Porter.

Retaining the services of one of the deadliest finishers in the game for the long haul would be an obvious boost for Arteta's attempts to rebuild Arsenal into a trophy-winning force. It would make sense for the Gunners to stump up the cash for a striker with 20 goals in all competitions to his credit so far this season.

No player has scored more Premier League goals this season than Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (17).

Joint top scorer in the competition. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/caGkSlrqi4

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) February 23, 2020

Production on this scale follows the 31 goals Aubameyang netted last season, with 22 coming in England's top flight. They were good enough to earn him a three-way share of the golden boot—with Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane—as the division's top scorer.

Aubameyang has proved himself the attacking talisman of Arteta's team. It's curious then the Arsenal chief has elected to play the 30-year-old wide rather than through the middle.

Meanwhile, neither Eddie Nketiah nor Alexandre Lacazette have fully convinced in the centre-forward role despite the latter scoring the winner as a substitute to beat West Ham United 1-0 on Saturday.

Aubameyang has taken to playing on the flanks without complaint, underlining him as a malleable team player Arteta can use to reshape this squad. The prolific marksman has also taken on a leadership position as skipper, showing an emotional investment in his team's swings of fortune.

His disappointment was tangible after the Gabon star missed a terrific chance to equalise against Olympiacos in the last 32 of the UEFA Europa League. Aubameyang's failure from close range meant the Gunners were eliminated on the away goals rule and lost another chance to qualify for next season's Champions League.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in his programme notes: "We are back at the Emirates after the huge disappointment against Olympiacos. I really felt like I failed you all by missing that last chance. I felt responsible. But I am the captain and I don't want to hide." #ARSWHU pic.twitter.com/UcLhOZdqgG

— Dan Mountney (@JournoDanM) March 7, 2020

Missing out on a seat at Europe's top table for a fourth season running since he joined Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund in the winter of 2018 must be a bitter blow for Aubameyang.

The same goes for a continued struggle to win silverware in a Gunners shirt. Aubameyang and Arsenal lost the 2018 Carabao Cup final 3-0 to Manchester City under Arsene Wenger, and they were beaten 4-1 by Chelsea in last season's Europa League final on Unai Emery's watch.

Defeat against Olympiacos means Arsenal's hunt for a first European trophy since 1994 goes on. To his credit, Aubameyang sounds as though he won't let trophies define his career, telling Sky Sports' Soccer Saturday: "I'm a striker so I will defend my side - I don't think you need trophies to be a top striker."

Standing by those words will be increasingly difficult if winning clubs come calling during the summer. Inter Milan are interested, according to Calciomercato.com, while Wells mentioned La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid as potential suitors in another report for the Mirror.

Arsenal may already have a contingency in place if Aubameyang leaves. Gent forward Jonathan David is a possible target, per Goal's Charles Watts, while Le10 Sport (h/t Joe Brophy of The Sun) has reported former Gunners youth player Donyell Malen, now at PSV Eindhoven, could also be an option.

Malen and David have the pace, technique and finishing quality Arteta would value, but the best-case scenario is surely to agree new terms with a natural goalscorer as consistent as Aubameyang.

Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette has said he wants to give manager Mikel Arteta a selection dilemma.

The France international has endured a difficult campaign but came off the bench on Saturday to net the winning goal in the 1-0 win over West Ham United in the Premier League.

It was a crucial strike for the Gunners, who were on the back foot for long spells of the match at the Emirates Stadium. Afterwards, Lacazette spoke of his delight at getting on the scoresheet and of his determination to force his way back into the team, per Jack Collins of the Daily Mirror:

"I'm happy to score for the team. We worked hard. It was a difficult game. I'm happy. They deserved more because of the chances they created. This is football, sometimes you don't get what you deserve.

"It is my job to give the manager a big headache. I'm struggling to make the first team but I'm happy to score again today.

"I know that now I have to play well again the next game. Everyone wants to give their best and it's normal that whenever we do that we will perform as a team."

Lacazette's goal came 12 minutes from time, moving the Gunners up to ninth in the Premier League and to within five points of Chelsea in fourth spot:

The forward was excellent in the 2018-19 season, forming a brilliant partnership with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. While the Gabon international has kicked on again this term, Lacazette has struggled. In recent weeks, Arteta has opted for Eddie Nketiah at the point of the attack instead of the former Lyon man.

However, Lacazette made his case for more opportunities with his predatory finish on Saturday. Per Squawka Football, the 28-year-old relishes playing at home:

Alexandre Lacazette has scored seven goals in the Premier League this season for Arsenal:

⚽️ Home
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There’s no place like the Emirates. 🏡 pic.twitter.com/if35yyURMv

— Squawka (@Squawka) March 7, 2020

When he's at his best, Lacazette adds something different to the Gunners attack. In addition to being a brilliant finisher, he is dynamic and smart with his movement. He's resourceful on the ball too, helping him to link play in the final third.

Arteta has seemingly taken a shine to Nketiah, and the youngster has responded with some sharp displays. After Saturday's match, the Arsenal manager praised both strikers:

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on Lacazette and Nketiah: "They are both playing well and scoring. When I was talking to him I could see he was determined to come on and score a goal." #ARSWHU pic.twitter.com/DCin93D1QG

— Layth (@laythy29) March 7, 2020

He will be delighted he has healthy competition in this area of the field, especially as the Gunners gear up for what could be an exciting end to the campaign.

The team is not out of the race for a top-four berth, winning their past three top-flight games. They are also into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, where they will face a difficult task away at Sheffield United.