Why Arsenal want to sign £85m striker

When Arsenal went big to seal the signing of Viktor Gyokeres a year ago from Sporting CP in Portugal, it was widely expected that he was going to be the man to carry the Gunners to glory.

For years, the missing piece of the puzzle for Mikel Arteta has been that truly elite centre-forward. Sadly, one summer on from the Swede’s arrival in north London, they are arguably still searching for that world-class out and out goalscorer.

Gyokeres did not have a poor first season at the Emirates Stadium. After all, the Gunners did win the Premier League for the first time in over two decades. The striker played an important hand in that achivement.

However, there is a reason Arsenal are exploring their options again with Julian Alvarez and others on the radar.

Why Gyokeres is not Arsenal’s long-term striker solution

When Gyokeres moved to Arsenal, he did so off the back of a quite remarkable season in Lisbon, scoring 54 goals in 52 games.

He was never going to replicate that sort of tally in the rougher and tougher Premier League but if there is one thing you cannot criticise him for, it is his finishing ability.

The 28-year-old is a ruthless finisher and ultimately, he did do his job pretty well. He scored 21 times in all competitions, ending the season as the club’s top scorer. For context, no player has ever scored more in a single season since Arteta arrived.

However, the simple fact is that aside from being able to score goals, he does not offer a whole lot else. A striker’s primary job is to score goals but in Arsenal’s system you need to be more dynamic, you need to have a bit more technical ability to your game.

Gyokeres is never the most aesthetically pleasing player to watch. He’s like something of a raging bull. The former Coventry City man is aggressive with his running and he’ll occupy a defender well. Yet, the big Swede finds it difficult when he is asked to link and hold up the play. His first touch is particularly poor, particularly when you compare it to Kai Havertz.

In 2025/26, the 28-year-old ranked among the worst 10% of strikers in Europe’s top five leagues for successful dribbles per 90 minutes with 0.28. He also sat among the worst 19% for expected threat in the build-up.

As a result, at some stage, Arsenal may have to move on from him. Havertz played an important part towards the back end of the season, notably starting and scoring in the Champions League final. Is that a sign of things to come?

Arsenal ready to go big in the transfer market to replace Gyokeres

When it comes to the big games and the pressure moments, Arteta seems to rely on Havertz over Gyokeres. It’s a worrying sign of things to come for the Sweden international heading into 2026/27.

That said, it might not just be Havertz who he has to compete for a place with next season. Arsenal’s pursuit of Julian Alvarez has been well documented but with a price tag that is set to soar beyond £100m, it might not be reasonable to expect Andrea Berta and Co to sign him alongside a big-money winger.

A striker isn’t the main priority this summer and as a result, a cheaper alternative may well be sought. That alternative could be Bayer Leverkusen’s Christian Kofane.

Reports from German outlet Fussballdaten note that Arsenal and Newcastle are both lining up a move for the 19-year-old this summer after a breakthrough campaign in the Bundesliga.

The Gunners are said to be in ‘constant’ and ‘direct’ contact with the player’s camp over a move. The trouble is, much like Alvarez, this deal won’t be cheap. An £85m fee is being talked about at Leverkusen.

So, what is this young talent all about? Well, you could call him German football’s answer to Eli Junior Kroupi. The Bournemouth wonderkid was electric on the south coast last term, netting 13 Premier League goals and attracting interest from Arsenal.

19, just like Kroupi, the Leverkusen star also enjoyed a breakout year, bagging seven goals and supplying nine in 44 outings. Those are not jaw-dropping numbers sure, but this is a young striker with elite potential.

Scout Jacek Kulig has already called the Cameroon international “one of Europe’s most exciting strikers” and for good reason too. He gave William Saliba and Gabriel a rather tough time of it in the Champions League last term and that is certainly no easy thing.

He’s tall, standing at a height of 6 foot 2 and he’s quick as well, boasting a similar sort of profile to players like Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike. The Bundesliga’s official channels note how the teenager’s “speed, vision and polished finishing ability”, alongside his “silky skills and all-round profile”, make him similar to that of Ekitike.

For Gyokeres, the thought of an all-rounder entering Arsenal would definitely be bad news. At the moment, they have one striker in Havertz who can do more of the dirty work and drop deep. In Gyokeres, they have someone capable of running in behind. It would appear that Kofane could combine the best of both elements.

The club’s number 14 has only been in London a year but he should already be fearing for his long-term future. At least he’s got a Premier League trophy to show for his efforts.