We are just three days away from the return of the Premier League and four days away from Arsenal resuming their quest to finally end their two-decade title drought.
Mikel Arteta's side came agonisingly close last season but ultimately fell two points short of Manchester City's impressive total.
Fans are hoping Edu Gaspar and Co will sign a new striker this summer to close that gap, and while that hasn't happened yet, things may soon change.
Recent reports have linked the club with an exciting number nine who enjoyed a stellar 2023/24 campaign and would surely thrive at the Emirates while helping players like Bukayo Saka reach another level.
Arsenal's striker search
According to a recent report from Graeme Bailey, FC Porto's Brazilian goal machine, Evanilson, is on Arsenal's radar.
In fact, the report goes a step further, revealing that the Gunners have already held talks with the player's agent this summer, suggesting that the groundwork for a move could already be laid.
The report does not mention a price, but previous stories have claimed that the 24-year-old marksman has a €100m release clause in his contract, which converts to about £86m.
It would undoubtedly represent a hefty investment from the club, but if Arsenal can negotiate the price down, bringing Evanilson to add more goals to the frontline wouldn't be the worst idea, especially as he'd help make Saka even better.
Why Evanilson would be a great signing for Arsenal and Saka
Okay, so when you get down to the real basics, there is one reason above all others why Evanilson would be an excellent signing for Saka and Arsenal overall: his output.
It's the most important metric of all for strikers, and while forwards like Gabriel Jesus can bring aesthetic tricks and incredible skill to the frontline, what the Gunners need at this moment in time is a centre-forward who's going to put the ball in the back of the net and provide his teammates with the chance to do the same, which is precisely what the Porto ace would do.
For example, in his 42 appearances for the Dragões last season, the "electric" poacher, as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, scored a whopping 25 goals and provided seven assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement once every 1.31 games.
Appearances
42
47
48
51
Goals
25
20
11
14
Assists
7
14
11
7
Goal Involvements per Match
0.76
0.72
0.45
0.41
This output would've made him the second most productive player in the Gunners squad behind only Saka last season, and while you have to take into account the weaker league, the sheer weight of his numbers helps to balance out any potential doubt over his ability.
Now, just imagine a striker as clinical as the twice-capped Brazilian playing alongside the North Londoners' talismanic number seven; he'd have a field day.
For example, while the Hale End superstar was incredibly efficient last season, we know from Understat's data that he underperformed his expected assists figure in the league by 3.33, which is a fairly significant margin, and demonstrates that his teammates were not finishing the chances he was creating for them.
So, put someone like Evanilson into the team who couldn't stop scoring last year, and there is a very good chance that his underperformance dramatically reduces, if not inverts entirely.
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Ultimately, while the potential fee is somewhat excessive, the league could be decided by extraordinarily fine margins again this season, and if Arteta and Co want to ensure they finally lift that title come May, then splashing the cash on a goalscoring number nine may well be worth it.