Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur reportedly both hold an interest in Fiorentina striker Moise Kean, who could be available for £43.3m this summer thanks to a clause in his contract.
Despite their well-documented attacking shortages, the Gunners did not make a move for a new attacker in January, a gamble that has already backfired due to Gabriel Martinelli's recent hamstring problem.
The Brazilian forward is now expected to be out for a month, joining Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus on the sidelines, and the latter will not play again this season on account of his ACL injury.
As a result, Mikel Arteta has been left with Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling and 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri as his only 'senior' attacking options, as well as academy duo Nathan Butler-Oyedeji and Ismeal Kabia.
North London rivals Tottenham are not doing much better on the offensive front, as Dominic Solanke, Richarlison, Wilson Odobert, Timo Werner and Brennan Johnson are all out of action, but the Lilywhites at least pulled off a marquee deal for Mathys Tel in January.
Spurs also have the option to buy the Bayern Munich striker for around £45.7m at the end of the season, but it has been reported that Tel is still favouring a move to Manchester United at the end of the campaign.
Arsenal, Tottenham 'monitoring' Kean ahead of summer move
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According to journalist Nicolo Schira, Arsenal and Spurs' search for attacking reinforcements could lead them to Kean, who is flourishing in Serie A after previously struggling in the Premier League.
The 24-year-old has struck 19 goals in 28 appearances for La Viola this season, including a brace in their recent shock 3-0 beating of Serie A champions Inter Milan on February 6.
Kean's total of 15 goals in 22 Serie A matches puts him second in the league's scoring charts, only behind Atalanta BC's Mateo Retegui (20) in the race for the Capocannoniere.
The Italy international's contract with Fiorentina runs until 2029, but Schira adds that his terms include an affordable €52m (£43.3m) release clause, which can be triggered from July onwards.
That fee should not prove problematic for clubs of Arsenal or Tottenham's calibre, and it would also still see Fiorentina make a sizeable profit on the €13m (£10.8m) they paid Juventus to sign Kean last summer.
How did Kean fare in his first Premier League spell?
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A teenage Kean was formerly one of the jewels in the Juventus crown, earning a reputation as one of the highest-rated young strikers in Italy before being sold to Everton in 2019 for £22.9m.
However, the 24-year-old quickly struggled to adapt to the demands of English top-flight football, managing just two goals in 29 Premier League appearances in the 2019-20 campaign before being loaned to Paris Saint-Germain.
Kean rediscovered his knack for scoring in France with 17 goals in all tournaments, but upon his return to Goodison Park, he featured just once more in the Premier League before being shipped back to Juventus.
The Italian's previous failures in the Premier League may make Arsenal or Spurs understandably apprehensive, but he is now a few years older and wiser and could be an intriguing option if both sides cannot land their prime targets.
Ben Knapton
