Many great Premier League strikers have worn the No.9 shirt with distinction in their time - Alan Shearer, Andrew Cole, Fernando Torres and, most recently, Zlatan Ibrahimovic have all thrived with that number on their backs.
'Alexis will definitely stay at Arsenal'
However, the same cannot be said at Arsenal, with a whole host of No.9s coming and going without having made the impact Arsene Wenger would have liked.
Since the 1999-2000 season when World Cup Golden Boot holder Davor Suker arrived in north London, the No.9 has been a hinderence rather than a help for players such as Jose Antonio Reyes, Eduardo da Silva and Lukas Podolski.
Arsenal have now announced that club-record signing Alexandre Lacazette will be taking up the mantle , and supporters will be praying he does not follow the same path as his predecessors.
| Season | Player | PL Apps | PL Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-00 | Davor Suker | 22 | 8 |
| 2000-01 | N/A | 0 | 0 |
| 2001-02 | Francis Jeffers | 6 | 2 |
| 2002-03 | Francis Jeffers | 16 | 2 |
| 2003-04 | Jose Antonio Reyes | 13 | 2 |
| 2004-05 | Jose Antonio Reyes | 30 | 9 |
| 2005-06 | Jose Antonio Reyes | 26 | 5 |
| 2006-07 | Julio Baptista | 24 | 3 |
| 2007-08 | Eduardo | 17 | 4 |
| 2008-09 | Eduardo | 0 | 0 |
| 2009-10 | Eduardo | 24 | 2 |
| 2010-11 | N/A | 0 | 0 |
| 2011-12 | Park Chu-Young | 1 | 0 |
| 2012-13 | Lukas Podolski | 33 | 11 |
| 2013-14 | Lukas Podolski | 20 | 8 |
| 2014-15 | Lukas Podolski | 7 | 0 |
| 2015-16 | N/A | 0 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | Lucas Perez | 11 | 1 |
In the 18 seasons since Suker's arrival, Arsenal's No.9s have managed to score a combined 57 Premier League goals, with only Podolski in 2012-13 managing to reach double figures in a single campaign.
Amid rumours that both Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud could depart this summer, Arsenal cannot afford for their new star striker to flop, though he could yet follow in the footsteps of the previous Frenchman to wear the No.9.
Lacazette's compatriot Nicolas Anelka shone under Wenger before earning himself a move to Real Madrid in 1999, and if Lacazette can match his performances then the £46 million spent on the former Lyon forward will have paid off.