It's January 2022, the transfer window is nearing its conclusion and Arsenal are in talks to sign one of the most highly-rated strikers in the game before Juventus come in to take away every bit of excitement you had. I know for a fact that I wasn't the only Arsenal fan hurting after we missed out on Dusan Vlahovic, it's the hope that kills you, right?
It proved to be a failed transfer pursuit which left Mikel Arteta without sufficient goalscoring options, opening up the possibility of a major striker shortage in the process.
Many questions were and continue to be asked about the club's decision not to opt for alternative targets that month, considering Alexandre Lacazette has failed to score from open play in the league since December last year and Eddie Nketiah hadn't scored in the top flight at all until recently.
READ MORE: Paulo Dybala’s potential Arsenal switch aids Mikel Arteta's pursuit of two £66.3m strikers
Although I could sit here and go on a rant of my own about the situation, it would be wrong to not mention a potential positive to come out of it. ESPN is reporting that Arsenal are among a host of top European sides to have made contact with Paulo Dybala's representatives over a potential free transfer this summer.
Fellow Premier League sides Manchester United, Newcastle and Tottenham are also believed to have joined the Gunners in monitoring the Argentinian's situation.
The report mentions that Juventus were thought to have offered Dybala a new deal worth around £160,000-a-week after tax, but then decided to change the terms of the proposal following the signing of Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina. This is believed to have been the key factor behind talks breaking down and Dybala wanting to leave as a consequence, handing Arsenal the opportunity to sign him for nothing.
football.london understands Arteta wants to sign at least two forwards this summer, with Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus and AS Roma's Tammy Abraham on technical director Edu's shortlist.
A deal for Dybala would represent shrewd business by the Gunners, despite the 28-year-old's recent struggles with The Old Lady. Often labelled as a 'superstar' for both club and country due to his clear talent, Dybala has scored an impressive 114 times and provided 48 assists for Juve since joining in a deal worth around £33.5m back in 2015.
However, a number of minor injury problems and the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo four years ago seemed to scupper his consistency, setting the former Palermo man back as Italian football expert Richard Hall explained to The Arsenal Way.
"Dybala is a funny player because he needs the trust, you almost need to centre the team around him a bit," he said. "It was a shame when Ronaldo turned up at Juventus because he was just starting to produce those special moments, started to produce against Barcelona if you remember that brilliant performance and he's leaving Juventus because he's not that. So Arsenal, would they want to centre that forward line around him? I'm not sure."
