Arsenal There has been an obvious lack of attacking options for Mikel Arteta this season, with both Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus suffering significant injuries.

So much so that Arteta has resorted to some unorthodox options with Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Mikel Merino all playing through the middle at different stages this season.

But is the Brazilian the right player for Arsenal? The main links so far and what football.london

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Interest from Andrea Berta, the new sporting director, and manager Arteta in the pair, respectively, is determining the focus of the summer's attention. Yet there is scope to sign a versatile attacker in addition to a centre-forward, and this is perhaps where Joao Pedro comes in.

The Seagulls' attacker has played in four different positions this season alone: centre-forward, second striker, attacking midfield and wide left. Martin Odegaard's form this season has dipped but without a natural replacement besides youngster Ethan Nwaneri, like up top there has been a lack of options there too.

Joao Pedro ranks in the 91st percentile for forwards in the top five leagues for shot creating actions per 90 at 3.47. Havertz, who is thought of as a collaborative forward, ranks in the 66th percentile, with 2.35 per 90 in the games played over the last year.

With 10 goals and six assists this season across just under 2000 minutes for Brighton in the Premier League, the numbers are solid. However, five of those 10 goals have been penalties, one of which was won against Arsenal in very controversial circumstances.

Pedro has been serving a ban after a straight red card against Brentford following a kick-out at Nathan Collins. He was lucky to escape a straight red card against the same opponent earlier in the season when he was spotted lashing out with an elbow toward Yehor Yarmolyuk.

These incidents, therefore, appear not to be anomalous. Arsenal are a team who are regularly in the refereeing spotlight - can they afford another player who has these regularities with moments that land him in trouble? Probably not.

Speaking earlier in the season after William Saliba received the club’s third red card only in October after further reds for Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard he said: "Playing with 10 men, ­obviously there is an issue. The truth is when you analyse the three very different actions and the outcome of them, the reasons are very different.

"Regardless of that, we cannot continue to play with 10 men, especially at this level. We need to eradicate that. It’s clear why, the reason, and how doesn’t matter. We have to focus and it has to happen."