This was not how Arsenal's goalkeeper dilemma was supposed to play out.
Nine months ago, Mikel Arteta was suffering from a selection headache; first-choice goalkeeper Bernd Leno was out through injury, and serial loanee Emiliano Martinez had finally been given a crack between the sticks - and boy, did he take it!
The Argentine played a huge part in the Gunners' FA Cup and Community Shield successes, but his sensational displays had proven one thing: He could not be second choice any longer.
With that in mind, Arsenal decided to cash in on the man of the hour, selling Martinez to Aston Villa for £20m, while holding onto Leno and offering him the comfort of the number one gloves. A happy ending for all.
Except, Leno is now suffering some turgid form, with the tip of the iceberg being a humiliating error in the 1-0 defeat to Everton on Friday evening. That disaster, along with a general shakiness in his recent displays, has led to some reports suggesting Arteta is now on the lookout for a new number one.
But who should be on that shortlist? 90min investigates.
8. Gianluigi Buffon
Yes, we know he's like 50 years old, but you can't have a goalkeeper list without an available Gianluigi Buffon. The veteran is likely to leave Juventus this summer, and is willing to test out another foreign adventure.
The man knows he's coming towards the end of his career, and he just wants to experience the rush of saving shots one last time. Where better then, than standing behind Arsenal's current defence?
7. Sergio Romero
The forgotten man of the Manchester United goalkeeping ranks. Sergio Romero is on his way out of Old Trafford this summer, having seen his place as backup taken by Dean Henderson, and now David de Gea.
He has demonstrated enough ability to be a number one for a Premier League team, but the question remains whether he still has the appetite for it, or is simply ready to head back home to Argentina. Could be worth a punt.
6. Pierluigi Gollini
Back to Italy now, and we're off to Bergamo to try to snatch goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini from Atalanta. You may ask the question, 'why would a goalkeeper in the Champions League go to Arsenal?' And that is a very, very valid query.
But money is almost always the answer, and Atalanta have never been afraid of selling their stars and taking a punt on the next big thing from the furthest corner of Europe. Gollini has got pedigree, and wouldn't be crazily expensive, either.
5. Rui Patricio
Does anyone else get the feeling that the wheels are falling off the Wolverhampton Wanderers express train to the top of the football pyramid? They've hit a bit of a wall, and many players may be beginning to question whether they can reach those heights at Molineux.
The idea of a move to Arsenal could be an appealing one then, especially for a goalkeeper like Rui Patricio, who is running out of time to make a return to the peak of European football. It'd be a risk on his part, but a no-brainer for the Gunners.
4. Mike Maignan
Magique Mike, as I'm sure he's known in France. Mike Maignan has been in blistering form for Lille this year, and it's his superb performances which have catapulted them to within touching distance of the Ligue 1 title.
Lille work on a model of buying low and selling high, and so they will have almost accepted that Maignan will not be at the club next year. He's heavily linked with a move to Milan, but can Arsenal nip in first?
3. Nick Pope
Burnley fans won't thank us for saying this, but Nick Pope deserves a move to a club capable of one day breaking back into the upper echelons of English football. The England international will want to cement his place in Gareth Southgate's plans, and a transfer to a more attractive club (sorry again, Burnley) would do the job.
Pope is one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League, and at 29 years of age, he has plenty of time to develop further. Who wouldn't want England's number one between their sticks (as long as his name isn't Jordan Pickford)?
2. Unai Simon
The man who is making the headlines, if the transfer rumour mill is to be believed. Unai Simon is Athletic Bilbao's current goalkeeper, and he is making a name for himself in Spanish football.
He has already appeared six times for Spain, and according to La Razon, he's shown enough for Arteta to select him as his main target. A word of warning though: Kepa Arrizabalaga was good in Bilbao, and look how that one turned out.
1. Wojciech Szczesny
Wojciech Szczesny showed all the signs of becoming a top goalkeeper during his time at Arsenal, but mistakes and attitude issues saw him sent packing from the Emirates. The Polish goalkeeper went away, ironed out those creases from his game, and became one of the best shot-stoppers in Europe.
But the potential arrival of Gianluigi Donnarumma at Juventus means Szczesny could be the collateral, and they'd need to sell him in the summer. Surely we'd all be onside for this reunion?
Source : 90min