The Gunners failed to bolster their frontline in the January transfer window, partly due to a lack of available targets but mainly due to concerns over Financial Fair Play regulations.
Having splashed out over £200m in the summer, Arsenal kept their warchest closed over the winter, as Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu kept faith in the players at their disposal.
The chiefs' decision has been vindicated so far, where the Gunners have won each of their first Premier League games in 2024 with an astounding 33 goals in total, an average of just over four per match.
Those triumphs include 6-0 decimations of Sheffield United and West Ham United, matching Arsenal's biggest away league wins in history, and Saturday's 2-1 success over Brentford moved Arteta's men to the top of the pile.
Arsenal will finish the gameweek in first place if there is no winner in Sunday's battle between title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City, and their record of 70 strikes in the English top flight is unparalleled.
However, Arteta affirmed on Friday that his side's current phenomenal run will not change their plans for the summer window, and the Gunners are still expected to pursue a new number nine.
With Brentford's Ivan Toney and Napoli's Victor Osimhen — two prime targets — potentially costing over £100m and also attracting glances from elsewhere, TEAMtalk claims that an offer has been lodged for Leonardo.
The 20-year-old came through the youth system of Brazilian club Santos and racked up 54 goals in 168 appearances for his boyhood team, who sold him to Benfica for £15.3m in the January transfer window.
Leonardo has quickly adapted
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