Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith has predicted that the club will enter the transfer market to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang if the skipper leaves this summer.
Aubameyang's future has come under scrutiny in recent weeks as he approaches the final 12 months of his contract, with talks over an extension stalling and Arsenal thought to be considering cashing in on their top scorer.
The Gunners do have young talents such as Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah waiting in the wings should Aubameyang leave, in addition to Alexandre Lacazette, but Smith believes that they will still need to bring in a replacement for the Gabon international.
"It's asking a lot of Nketiah or Martinelli, as talented as they both are, to step into the shoes of a tried-and-tested goalscorer like Aubameyang, who has been playing at the top level for a lot of years," he told Sky Sports News.
"If Aubameyang did leave I'm sure they would be looking to bring some experience in but they are restricted by their finances. They've also got Alexandre Lacazette but his goal output has tailed off this season compared to his first at the club, so that would be a concern.
"But there's no question they've got talent inside the club. I'm a big fan of Martinelli in particular. I think he's got a great attitude and a wonderful eye for goal as we've seen on a number of occasions already. There's definitely a lot to come from him but you have to be careful you don't put too much responsibility on young shoulders. They need to be nurtured."
Arsenal have been linked with the likes of Odsonne Edouard, Moussa Dembele and Jonathan David this summer.
Barney Corkhill
