Why Romelu Lukaku Should Be Arsenal's No. 1 Summer Transfer Target

As the 2015/16 campaign draws to a close, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger must have begun considering the kind of transfer activity that will be required to make his side challengers again next season.

After a strong start, the Gunners have fallen by the wayside and now trail both Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur in the race for the title. If Wenger is looking for the players to turn his team into potential champions, there is one name he should have at the top of his list: Everton striker Romelu Lukaku.

It seems as if Arsenal have been pursuing a top-class centre-forward for years now. Ever since their doomed bid to sign Luis Suarez in 2013 (h/t the Guardian's Andy Hunter), Wenger has been linked with a string of starry strikers. 

However, the reality is there are not many premium names on the market. Very rarely does a true "world-class" forward become available. Arsenal’s only option may be to gamble on someone who could reach that level. Lukaku undoubtedly has the potential. 

Scott Heppell/Associated Press

There is a need for a new striker in the Arsenal squad. In recent weeks, both Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott have been dropped to the substitutes bench. At 29, Giroud is not getting any younger, so it’s fanciful to suggest there will be a dramatic improvement from him in the coming years.

Similarly, Walcott’s decade with the club appears to be petering out. As his experience grows, his lethal pace is likely to wane. Danny Welbeck is currently the man in favour, but doubts persist over his ability to become a regular goalscorer.

At 22, Lukaku is already a reliable finisher. This season he has struck 25 goals in 39 appearances for Everton. That tally is all the more impressive when you consider the Toffees have largely endured a difficult campaign, languishing in the lower half of the Premier League.

It’s no surprise, therefore, that he may want to move on. In the most recent international break, the Belgian international confessed to Sky Sports News HQ he is itching to experience UEFA Champions League football: "That is the next step for me. I'm 23 next summer and I think it would be nice to play in the Champions League from next season. I have an agent who is dealing with this for me at the moment. I just want to be good, help my team-mates win games and score lots of goals."

Scott Heppell/Associated Press

Arsenal might not be on course to land the title, but it seems certain they will be able to offer Champions League participation. A move to Arsenal might also appeal to Lukaku, who was sold by London rivals Chelsea without getting much of a chance to impress. Returning to the capital as a star name would be some way to hit back at his former employers.

He wouldn’t come cheap. Despite the fact Arsenal would be buying potential, Lukaku is already a hugely prized asset. It’s possible the Gunners could end up paying a club record-fee to get their man.

So be it. In football, there is little as valuable as a goalscorer. Lukaku has already proved he can terrorise Premier League defences. A move to Arsenal could elevate him to the next level and allow him to rampage across Europe.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.