Arsenal Transfers: 5 Forwards To Replace Injured Theo Walcott

4. Mario Mandzukic

Arsenal was once briefly home to a great Croatian striker called Davor Suker. He lit up the 1998 World Cup with his goalscoring exploits, but some 16 years on another Eastern European hitman may be of interest to Wenger. The Daily Mail reported that the Gunners boss is eyeing Bayern Munich's Mandzukic after the German giants finally tied Robert Lewandowski to a deal when his contract with Borussia Dortmund expires. Bayern boss Pep Guardiola getting the prolific pole for next season certainly puts Mandzukic, 27, in something of a quandary. There have been times this term when he hasn't been in the Munich XI as they have employed the en vogue false number nine tactic. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the Bayern chairman, has strenuously denied that the club will let Mandzukic leave in this window or the next, but he would wouldn't he? If the Gunners are to get their man it will cost them, but there is one reason for optimism here... There has been a phenomenal turnover of strikers at the Allianz in recent years. Roque Santa Cruz, Lukas Podolski, Roy Makaay, Miroslav Klose, Luca Toni, Mario Gomez and Claudio Pizarro have all had seasons in the sun and been ditched. Mandzukic cannot be the first, but he could be the next.