Summer transfer season is certainly a strange time for both soccer clubs and fans. Wild rumors, millions of dollars being thrown around, and even some player transfer requests fill the summer months heading into the long haul of a new season. One club that is particularly in the midst of a hectic summer is Arsenal. After failing to secure a Champions League spot for the first time in over 20 years, and with the futures of key players such as Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Özil, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the air, the Gunners are in need of a huge boost this summer.

Securing the aforementioned trio to new contracts is definitely the team’s number one priority. After this, Arsenal need to bring in some big-time talent to improve the squad. While there have been plenty of names thrown around, listed below are four players which would greatly improve this current Arsenal squad.

Kylian Mbappe

Let’s just get this one out of the way. Mbappe is currently the hottest prospect in world soccer, and would strengthen any club he would potentially go to. Though just 18, the France international striker has a bit of everything in his repertoire: pace, agility, dribbling, passing, and finishing.

His current club, Monaco, have made it clear that they are willing to do anything to keep their prized player on the French Riviera; nevertheless, clubs like Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Arsenal are extremely interested in bringing in Mbappe. If a club were to sign him, it would undoubtedly smash the current record transfer fee set by Manchester United’s Paul Pogba (£89 million).

Arsenal are legitimate threats to sign Mbappe, as the player does reportedly have a good relationship with manager Arsene Wenger, but if he were to depart Monaco, Real Madrid are the favorites to secure his signature. However, Arsenal fans are drooling at the thought of Mbappe running into Mesut Özil’s superb passes at the Emirates.

Thomas Lemar

Another Monaco starlet, Lemar is a 21-year-old attacking midfielder/winger that is coming off of an outstanding 2016/17 campaign with the Ligue 1 champions. The France international recorded 14 goals and 17 assists in 55 total matches with Monaco last season, and was given a spot in the 2016 Champions League Breakthrough XI.

With Alexis Sanchez’s future with the Gunners in doubt, Lemar could very well be seen as a long-term replacement for the Chilean. Arsenal could certainly do worse if this was the case. Slotting the 21-year-old on the left flank in attack would bring a fluid option out wide. Lemar, however, can also play more centrally as well. After all, with his creativity and passing attributes, the versatile Monaco man would suit Arsenal’s style in the middle of the pitch. Wenger also previously shifted former winger Santi Cazorla to a more central role with much success.

Alexandre Lacazette

The most likely out of these four options, Lacazette’s move to Arsenal is moving towards completion according to the ever-reliable David Ornstein. With a reported price tag in the neighborhood of £50 million, the 26-year-old striker would potentially smash the club’s transfer record previously set by Özil (£42.5 million back in 2013).

Lacazette is a prolific goalscorer with Lyon, and as racked up an amazing 113 total goals over the last four seasons with the French club. Although former Ligue 1 strikers moving to the Premier League haven’t always faired well (Radamel Falcao, Jordan Ayew, Bafetimbi Gomis to name a few), none of these aforementioned players netted multiple 25+ goals per season in Ligue 1 like Lacazette has.

While the 26-year-old’s France national team record is far from impressive, he did manage to score 37 total goals during the 2016/17 season with Lyon. Included in this impressive tally are seven goals in 12 total matches in Champions League/Europa League competitions. Lacazette would bring something a little different to this current Arsenal squad. With Danny Welbeck and Theo Walcott fairly unreliable up front, the Lyon striker would bring a proven goalscoring threat to the team.

Jean Michael Seri

Though nearing his 26th birthday, Seri is undoubtedly one of the diamonds in the rough of Ligue 1. The Ivory Coast international may not be a household name in the soccer world at the moment, but he can certainly do it all in central midfield. The pint-sized playmaker ranked second in assists during last season’s Ligue 1, third in total passes per game, fourth in key passes per game, and boasted a 89.5% passing average.

Seri has recently been linked with a move to Roma, and while that still could come to fruition, it appears as if the Italian club are struggling to meet Nice’s demands for the player. This is where Arsenal come in. After news surfaced that Roma have potentially dragged their feet in a £35 million deal for Seri, the Gunners are said to be sniffing around at a possible chance to sign the central midfielder.

While Arsenal’s disappointing drop in the 2016/17 Premier League table has been attributed to many things, one certain issue was the long-term injury of Santi Cazorla. Widely considered the most talented player in the team’s dressing room, Cazorla’s absence in the middle of the pitch was dramatic. And although the 32-year-old Spaniard is working on getting fit for the new season ahead, Seri could be a perfect long-term replacement for the aging Cazorla.