Arsenal, to get to the level they currently find themselves at, have had to be cut-throat in their transfer dealings, whether that be incomings or outgoings.
Mikel Arteta has been praised for his work towards completely revamping things at the Emirates, as the man fronting such endeavours that have shaved huge figures off the wage bill and removed big-money blunders from north London.
It all started with his treatment of Mesut Ozil, which drew questions from many given how legendary a career the German creator had enjoyed. However, freezing out the 34-year-old saw them offset his massive £355k-per-week wage, and they moved on.
Next was club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who had signed a new contract a few years before his exit was instigated. Stripped of that captaincy, the Gabon international would leave by mutual consent in 2022, joining Barcelona despite remaining within the Gunners' all-time top ten scorers.
Whilst all of these decisions were debated at the time, hindsight has proven them all to have been wise decisions, given they now find themselves battling for titles and once again hearing the Champions League anthem blare out of their home stadium.
However, Arteta is far from finished, with the Spaniard surely seeking to capture those elite honours rather than rest happy that they are merely among the conversation.
Huge acquisitions are set to take them to the next step, but it is the fitness of Gabriel Jesus that could prove pivotal in mounting and maintaining another push for the Premier League.
How good is Gabriel Jesus?
Having signed from rivals Manchester City, the Brazilian marksman joined for a mouth-watering £45m fee, aided by these high-profile exits which freed up huge funds.
Given how the forward took to life in north London, such a figure initially seemed like a bargain, as the 26-year-old recorded nine goal contributions in their opening nine league fixtures, of which they had lost just once.
However, the mid-season World Cup proved devastating for Jesus, who was forced off early on for his nation before undergoing knee surgery that would keep him out for months.
Finishing the season on an admirable 11 goals and seven assists, those 12 missed league games could have proved pivotal in overturning the five-point deficit that allowed Pep Guardiola to pip them to the elite prize.
Arteta has been vocal about just how important Jesus is when fit, even if he has been accused of profligacy at times: "He’s an incredible professional, with his work ethic and enthusiasm. You will see it the first day he puts on his boots and enters the training pitch; he has the enthusiasm that he is going to create on his own on that pitch.
“And then obviously there are his qualities, his anger to score, his willingness to be coached, to improve. He is used to winning and he knows that winning is the only way to do it. I think he will set different standards at the club."
After all, that tally in the league belied his failures in front of goal, given he actually accumulated a 14.16 expected goals tally. Clearly underperforming with regard to the actual amount he should be scoring, perhaps there is one departed forward that their Spanish boss made an error on.
Indeed, it is getting hard to deny the form of Alexandre Lacazette.
Why did Alexandre Lacazette leave Arsenal?
As another who left in 2022, the Frenchman's exit was actually not instigated by the new manager, but instead by the striker himself, as he revealed after re-signing for Lyon just five years after departing in a £46.5m move: "My return has become obvious in recent weeks. Even without Europe, the project is important. I felt useful in the locker room and on the pitch. It was the best decision to make."
What made this move particularly frustrating was that, despite that huge fee expended back in 2017, he would depart on a free transfer given the lack of extension. However, the absence of Champions League football at Arsenal was also a factor, even if the 32-year-old had played a part in their failure to secure it.
To add some confusion onto Lacazette's exit, his reported conversation with Rob Holding since departing is an interesting one, as the English defender revealed a sense of regret creeping into the forward's thinking: "Yes I saw Laca a couple of weeks ago," Holding explained, "And we spoke about what it's like there compared to Arsenal. Lyon's his home club of course, and he knows it really well, but he was telling me how much he loved his time at Arsenal.
2017/18 season
26
14
4
7.10
2018/19 season
27
13
8
7.13
2019/20 season
22
10
4
7.06
2020/21 season
22
13
2
7.00
2021/22 season
20
4
7
6.94
"Actually a couple of months ago he texted me to tell me to enjoy my time at Arsenal because it's a step above everywhere else."
Perhaps, had Arteta pushed harder, he could still have the clinical marksman in his ranks ready to threaten Jesus' starting position.
How is Alexandre Lacazette performing since leaving?
Frustrations surrounding his exit have only been exacerbated given how proficient the forward has been since returning to Lyon, with last season marking one of Lacazette's finest for goalscoring.
Across 35 Ligue 1 appearances, the ageing finisher would record an astounding 27 goals, assisting a further five too. Only Kylian Mbappe would score more than him in the French top flight that year, as compatriot and AS Monaco star Chrislain Matsima sought to praise him:
"He is a great striker. Everyone agrees with that. He’s proven it again this season by carrying Lyon on his shoulders. It’s always exciting to play against this kind of player. It will be a great challenge for me and the rest of the team to stop him from shining."
These figures are undeniable, and since leaving the £89k-per-week star easily has outscored Jesus. What makes things worse is that, when thinking back on the 16-cap ex-France international's time with the Gunners, much of his play could earn comparisons with the job the current Brazil international seeks to do now within Arteta's system.
Writer Sam Tighe would outline this in 2019: "Few strikers I like more than Lacazette. That combination of lethal finishing, smart buildup work and edge/aggression isn’t common."
To allow as much talent as Arteta has done for free, one star was always bound to slip through the net. The general consensus is that with Ozil and Aubameyang, the time was right for their exits. However, it seems that with Lacazette, they could have done with holding out for at least a couple more seasons…