£130m star is now Arsenal’s “dream” target

Last summer, Andrea Berta had one primary objective during his first transfer window in charge of Arsenal‘s recruitment. That was to sign a new centre-forward.

At first, it looked like a move for Benjamin Sesko had been lined up. That was Mikel Arteta’s choice but instead, after seeing the finances potentially involved in a deal to bring the Slovenian to England, opted for the cheaper and more proven Viktor Gyokeres instead.

While Arteta was aligned with the move, it was one that was ultimately driven by Berta.

Did they get the right man? Well, the Gunners won the Premier League so it’s hard to dispute the business they completed a year ago too much.

Yet, Gyokeres’ overall play left plenty to be desired. It explains links to new strikers.

£129 striker is now Arsenal’s dream transfer target

With Arsenal and Gyokeres not in a perfect marriage, it has led Arsenal to consider their options at the top end of the pitch.

Already this summer we have seen links to Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi and it would appear that he is a leading target for Arteta and Co.

The Frenchman was exceptional as the Cherries finished in the European places. No teenager has ever scored more goals (13) than Kroupi did in his debut Premier League season.

Alas, with am £80m to £100m asking price, that seems like an awful lot to pay for someone with just a year of top-flight experience under their belt.

While more expensive, Arsenal would really like to sign Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid. Speculation has been rife surrounding the Argentine this summer with the Gunners reportedly already in talks with the player’s camp as they weigh up a move.

Real Madrid recently made a £130m bid to lure the forward across the Spanish capital but that was quite literally laughed off. Atleti do not want to sell to another Spanish side which could open the door to a return to the Premier League.

Speaking about a potential deal, the BBC’s Sami Mokbel told the Latte Firm Arsenal podcast over the weekend: “Arsenal have a long-term interest in Julian Alvarez & that’s a deal they would love to do, it would be a dream acquisition for Arteta & Berta. If there’s any way Arsenal would deem that possible this summer, that would leave a question over Gyokeres.”

How Alvarez compares to Viktor Gyokeres

If you judge Gyokeres just based on goals alone then he had a fine debut season in north London.

Sure, he may not have hit the dizzy heights he achieved in Lisbon, notably scoring 54 goals in 52 games during 2024/25 but he was never going to replicate that in England.

Instead, he found the net on 21 occasions. He ended Arsenal’s title-winning campaign as their top scorer in all competitions. That’s not bad, is it?

Yet, with the Gunners having sought an elite striker for several years now, it really doesn’t feel as though the Sweden superstar is the answer.

For so long now, Arsenal have operated with more of a false 9 as their striker. Mikel Merino enjoyed huge success when playing as a makeshift centre forward and that was because he is similar in style to Kai Havertz.

In the big moments, it is the German who has been preferred. He started the Carabao Cup final, started against Manchester City in the league and started and scored in the Champions League final.

It’s because, compared to Gyokeres, he brings players into the game more. Well, if they could get their hands on Alvarez, they’d have a player capable of not just assisting but also scoring with great regularity.

It was not long ago that the Argentina star was described as “the best centre forward in the world” by fellow countryman and journalist Roy Nemer for his efforts during his debut season with Atleti.

After leaving Manchester City behind, the 26-year-old bagged 29 times for Atleti in 2024/25. He then added a further 20 goals in 2025/26.

Like Gyokeres, Alvarez is a ruthless finisher. His predatory instincts are some of the best in the world. Yet, in general play, he just offers so much more than Arsenal’s number 14.

For context, when it comes to expected threat in the build-up phases of play. Gyokeres ranks in the worst 20% of strikers in Europe’s top five leagues for that metric while the former Man City man ranks inside the top 9% of positionally similar players.

One of the largest criticisms aimed at the big Swede is his ability to dribble with the ball. He completed a dismal 0.04 productive dribbles in 2025/26 and just 0.28 successful dribbles.

Alvarez, by comparison completed 0.43 and 1.23 respectively. The 25-year-old is just very technically secure. He can bring others into play with ease and he knows where the back of the net is.

While it feels unlikely that Arsenal would ever sell Gyokeres just one year after joining, it could well be time to say goodbye to his position in the team if they get a deal for the Argentine over the line. In the words of Argentine journalist Pablo Gonzalez, he is a “monster”.