Charlie Nicholas believes Arsenal would be best suited to sign a quality centre-half this summer.

While there has been plenty of talk regarding the striker situation at the North London club, former Gunners forward Nicholas has implored Arsene Wenger to go after a player such as Real Madrid's Raphael Varane rather than spending big money on a goalscorer like Napoli's Gonzalo Higuain as has been rumoured.

"I accept over the last two months that the central striker area has been a massive problem, but there's been a problem from day one and that's at centre-back," he said on Sky Sports.

"There's the soft excuse that Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud, Danny Welbeck and Theo Walcott have all had their injury problems, but for me the biggest issue exists at the back.

"If I had a position to buy right now and a choice between a centre-forward and Raphael Varane, my priority would be Varane.

"If they get Gonzalo Higuain in for say £50m and keep conceding two or three goals then they still won't win anything."