Robin Van Persie moving to Manchester United, Arsenal's most bitter rivals since the Premier League era is something that will not go down too well with the Gunners fans.
Arsene Wenger looked reluctant to let go of his most prolific striker to a direct rival but seemed to have been forced due to Van Persie's preference and the untenable situation created after the Dutchman refused to commit his future to the club.
However, Arsenal fans have seen a fruitful summer transfer window so far, the best since the Gunners moved to the Emirates stadium. Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla are three international players capable of cutting it in the English Premier League. Nevertheless, Arsenal need to make another statement by signing a big-name striker in replacement for Van Persie, even if Giroud might have been bought to cover for Van Persie leaving.
Wenger suggested he had already bought Van Persie's replacements. "We already recruited to replace him," Wenger told TFI. "It's sad to lose a player of his quality. He had a year left on his contract so we didn't have the choice."
Nothing the Arsenal manager says can be taken on face value, though, with Wenger on Sunday commenting the new signings were made to complement Van Persie and not replace him. So the Arsenal manager might still be on the lookout for a new signing, and would have suggested otherwise, so that he can make moves in the market quietly, like he always likes to.
Here's a look at who is potentially available and who might most likely move to the Emirates, if, as is hoped by Arsenal fans, Wenger does sign a replacement.
Fernando Llorente: The Spanish international is in the exact same position as Robin Van Persie. Llorente has only one year remaining on his contract with Athletic Bilbao, and has refused to sign a new deal. The 27-year-old was linked with a move to Arsenal earlier in the summer, with it being understood Wenger was looking at the striker as a replacement for the Dutchman.
Bilbao are holding out for a big fee, but an amount close to what was earned from the Van Persie sale (£20 million, $31.3 million) should be enough to convince Bilbao to sell. Juventus have already stated their interest in the imposing forward, and have reportedly tabled a €20 million bid, so Arsenal will need to move quickly if they are to seal the striker's capture.
Robert Lewandowski: The Borussia Dortmund striker has said he is happy at the German club with Dortmund reportedly keen to keep him at the club for at least one more year. However, a considerable fee might tempt the Germans to consider selling their striker, with Lewandowski also recently stating his desire to play in the English Premier League one day.
Dimitar Berbatov or Javier Hernandez: The Daily Mirror has suggested Javier Hernandez might move the other way to Arsenal, after seeing his chances further diminish with the arrival of Van Persie. While the move currently looks highly unlikely, it might be something that Wenger has on the back of his mind, although Hernandez' capabilities to play the Arsenal way might be brought into question.
A man who will not have any problems adapting to Arsenal's style of play is Berbatov. The Bulgarian was repeatedly linked with a move to Arsenal as talks between both parties over Van Persie started to escalate. Berbatov will definitely move to another club this summer and at an asking price of just £5 million ($7.8 million), might be the perfect Wenger buy, even if the striker is over 30 years old. The fact that Berbatov has a point to prove to Ferguson, after being frozen out last summer, will add that extra spice which might endear him to Arsenal fans immediately.
Seydou Doumbia: The CSKA Moscow striker has been repeatedly linked with the Gunners over the past couple of years and has made no bones about his preference to leave CSKA soon. It remains to be seen if Arsenal can match the asking price being quoted by CSKA, while the fact that Doumbia is largely unproven in a big league might put off some Arsenal fans, although his goalscoring talent is undoubted.
Not too many viable choices out there for Wenger, but it would be typical of the Frenchman to pull a rabbit out of the hat after being forced to sell his best player to their bitter rivals United.
