With the departure of star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal are down to just four forwards for the back half of the 2021-22 Premier League season. Not only did the Gunners fail to bring in an Aubameyang replacement, it failed to add to an already depleted squad.

Arsenal have seen success at the beginning of the season, with arrivals Ben White, Aaron Ramsdale, and Martin Ødegaard producing immediate results for the Gunners. However, as Aubameyang continued to face disciplinary actions, the Gabonese striker’s future at the Emirates seemed in jeopardy.

Back in March 2021, Aubameyang was left out of the North London Derby after showing up late to a team meeting on matchday. It would only be 9 more months until he was stripped of the captaincy in December, further highlighting the leadership issues the North London side have faced in recent years.

The Gunners looked to replace Aubameyang, who left for Barcelona on a free transfer, by pursuing Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic. The deal would ultimately fall through, and Vlahovic joined Serie A side Juventus for £66m. It would not take long for Arsenal supporters to see what their club missed out on, as Vlahovic took only 13 minutes to net his first goal for Juventus.

The need for a No. 9 was on display two weeks ago at the Emirates, as Sean Dyche’s lowly Burnley squad held the Gunners to a scoreless draw. While Dyche is a master of the 0-0 draw, it was the first time Arsenal did not win a Premier League match against the last-place side since their 4-4 draw against Spurs in October 2008.

Arsenal’s attacking issues will be further exacerbated in the summer transfer window, as both Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are out of contract this summer. Should they look to leave the club, Arsenal will be left with just Nicolas Pepe and Gabriel Martinelli at the forward position. If they look to compete for a spot in European football the following season, Arsenal will need to forget about the big names and simply land transfers at the club.