Arsenal’s hunt for a striker could well take another twist with the news one of Europe’s best dreamed of playing for them.
The goal-shy Gunners are, by all accounts, in desperate need of a new man up top, and have been heavily-linked to Ivan Toney in the January window.
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Centre forward options Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah aren’t filling the bill, while Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka aren’t producing the goods when the ball falls to them.
So far, it looks like Mikel Arteta has run into a dead end when it comes to landing a forward, dismissing questions about that to the media, while Toney looks set to stay at Brentford.
That could change in the summer, though, when another option may be available.
Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface is in his first season in one of Europe’s big five leagues, and has so far produced the goods with 16 goals in 23 games.
Rising up the ranks as one of the continent’s best under Xabi Alonso, Arsenal fans will be pleased by a recent interview.
Boniface recently joined the John Obi Mikel podcast, and was asked about his childhood as a football fan.
“For me, right from a young age I’ve supported Arsenal all my life,” he said.
Fellow Nigerian Mikel agreed, saying: “I grew up supporting Arsenal because of one person, Nwankwo Kanu.
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“I loved watching Arsenal because of Kanu. It’s that thing that where a Nigerian player plays, you tend to support your own.
“Now when you watch the kids coming up, everybody, because of me, Victor Moses, everybody has moved to Chelsea.”
A move in January is unlikely though as Boniface will be out of action until April after surgery on a muscle injury.
But on his return he could well find his boyhood club on the phone.