Benjamin Sesko and Martin Zubimendi. Stars for RB Leipzig in Germany and La Liga's Real Sociedad respectively, thought to be Arsenal's top targets at this primitive stage, still actually six days away from the market's stalls officially opening.
But they are top targets nonetheless, and they are top targets for a reason. Declan Rice needs a midfield partner to improve the solidity and strength of Mikel Arteta's engine room, while signing a centre-forward is probably the most pressing concern, with the lack of an out-and-out goalscorer this season one of the main reasons the Gunners were trumped to the Premier League title race for the second successive campaign.
But Arsenal has not risen from the rubble to restore its position as one of Europe's elite outfits by approaching deals with a blinkered, one-dimensional vision. Arteta, Edu and Co have mapped out a range of high-class alternatives who could make a real impact at the Emirates Stadium next season.
In fact, given that German reporter Christian Falk has recently suggested that Arsenal are backing away from Zubimendi, rumours that a Premier League star could be headed for north London might start to gain speed.
Arsenal lining up Premier League star
According to GiveMeSport, Arsenal have been in contact with Everton star Amadou Onana's representatives ahead of a possible transfer this summer.
The Belgium international was one of Sean Dyche's standout players this season and Fabrizio Romano has also confirmed Arsenal's interest, revealing that the Londoners have been in contact with Everton.
Onana, aged 22, might be on the market for a ballpark figure of £50m this summer, and while that's no small sum, it could prove to be a bargain when assessing this prospective transfer in a few years.
Amadou Onana's season in numbers
Onana only joined Everton two years ago, signing from Lille for £33m after the Toffees beat West Ham United to his signature, and he has since showcased his quality as one of English football's most robust and talented young players.
Standing at 6 foot 4, the hulking Belgian is a lean and powerful player with defensive skill and aerial dominance. To evidence this: as per FBref, Onana ranks among the top 8% of central midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles and the top 6% for aerial duels per 90.
This unrelenting output in holding the midfield together would certainly pay off for Arsenal if Onana could be assimilated into the Gunners squad, and having been described as a "monster duel winner" by analyst Raj Chohan a few months ago, he does appear to offer the style Arteta is searching for.
Onana has amassed 72 appearances for the Merseysiders across his two terms, and while injuries played their part in limiting him to only 23 Premier League starts this season, he still impressed with his tough tackling and commanding swagger.
Whether the 12-cap international is ready for a prominent role at a top team such as Arsenal is unknown, but based on the evidence, he is athletic, imposing and technically proficient, with the perfect skill set to bounce off Rice's, handing Arteta the final piece of the puzzle in the centre of the park as he charts a course for the Premier League title.
How Amadou Onana could work next to Rice
Back in December, analyst and Arsenal fan Ben Mattinson heralded Onana and his skill in the Everton midfield, stressing that the Gunners must prioritise his signature, musing "imagine this monster next to Rice".
Imagine indeed. Onana is shaping into quite the player, and given that Martin Odegaard's position in the advanced centre of the midfield is untouchable, this would be the signing to make, surely, to establish a perfect sense of equipoise and synergy, with such glittering waters spilling out wide to the wings, where Leandro Trossard's darting runs and Bukayo Saka's enigmatic artistry would benefit from such a dynamic and all-including engine room.
Matches played
38
30
Matches started
37
23
Goals
7
2
Assists
8
0
Pass completion
91%
85%
Touches per game
71.8
45.4
Key passes per game
1.2
0.6
Dribbles per game
0.6 (51%)
0.4 (60%)
Ball recoveries per game
4.7
5.3
Tackles per game
2.2
2.4
Duels won per game
4.1 (52%)
6.0 (66%)
The respective players are not actually too dissimilar in profile: both enjoy above-average defensive output, are energetic and active in their recovery skills and carry the ball forward at comparable rates – though Onana, interestingly, is crisper in this last regard.
Rice started the campaign on a more backward-territorial footing but more latterly has played with more freedom in a pivoting role, with just four of his past 13 Premier League matches played from an anchoring position.
This is principally down to Jorginho and Thomas Partey enjoying more match action, and it's patent that Rice would thrive in a long-term partnership with a player who focuses more on the nitty-gritty side of the midfield game and allows him to perform with unbridled ambition.
Onana could play that part, indeed offering many of the core qualities that have seen his English counterpart earn such acclaim over these past few years and coming out on top from, at least, a defensive standpoint.
Stepping into senior management at the vertiginous doors of Arsenal football club, esteemed, acclaimed, one of the biggest, one of the best, Arteta was steadfast in his ability as helmsman, building the club back up, block by block. The recent success is simply a product of his hard graft and tactical acumen.
Last season, he knew that signing Rice from West Ham for a club-record fee of £105m was a necessity to take the team down the path he craved, and now, Onana must be welcomed to continue the development of a team that, whisper it quietly, is destined for greatness.
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