Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger thinks Alexis Sanchez can develop into a striker in the mould of Luis Suarez or Sergio Aguero if he gets used regularly in the position.
Arsenal's shortage of centre-forwards was highlighted as Sanchez started up front in the 4-3 loss to Liverpool at the Emirates, with Olivier Giroud not match fit and Wenger yet to find another striker on the transfer market.
While Giroud might be back against Leicester on Saturday, Wenger said he thinks Sanchez could also provide a long-term solution to what has become a problem position for the Gunners.
"I think it is worth to try as he has the quality to go behind," Wenger said about the Chile forward, who has mainly been used as a winger since joining Arsenal from Barcelona two years ago. "On the flanks he uses a lot of energy by chasing back and I would like to use his energy sometimes a bit more efficiently by going behind the defenders as he is a good finisher. He has played centre-forward at Barcelona."
Sanchez has a high-energy style of play that is reminiscent to that of Suarez at Barcelona or Aguero at Manchester City, and Wenger believes he also has the skills to become a deadly goal-scorer.
"He has similar qualities. And he has a good timing to run behind the defenders," the Frenchman said. "Let's see. It is interesting to see how well he copes with that."
Sanchez was Arsenal's top scorer in his first season at the Emirates but missed a large chunk of his second campaign with an injury. But with Theo Walcott having stated that he wants to return to the right wing, Sanchez could become Wenger's primary option to Giroud up front -- unless he manages to bring in a new striker.
Arsenal also have Danny Welbeck returning around Christmas, after scans showed he is healing faster than expected from knee surgery, while academy product Chuba Akpom impressed with four goals in preseason.
And so even if Arsenal don't have any luck in the transfer window, Wenger is confident he has enough options to cope -- and hasn't ruled out using Walcott up front again.
"It is an important season for Theo, because last year he had a difficult period," Wenger said. "He can play as a striker and his numbers are excellent when he plays up front. We have Giroud, Sanchez, Walcott, Akpom and [Yaya] Sanogo who is still here but is injured at the moment -- the players we buy have to be better. ... Look, I believe a club like ours is focused on giving chances to the players we develop in our own club. We have a few strikers who have a chance, if we find the right players we buy.
"But if you ask people 'give me names' ... you see that it is not that easy -- look at a club like Real Madrid, who have they bought? Up front, it is very difficult."
Wenger admitted that Sanchez's performance against Liverpool "was not the most convincing" but blamed that partly on an ankle injury he has only recently recovered from.
"I think he is one of them who is not completely ready physically," Wenger said. "We did not dominate the game as much as we would have liked in midfield and he suffered a little bit from that as well. ... When he came back he was struggling a little bit [with the ankle]. But he had a good rest, I gave him five weeks.
"But it takes him a bit longer because of that maybe too as he could not work and when he came back he was not completely ready to be 100 percent. I think this week he was already sharper in training."