Why Arsenal want to sign a “Luis Suarez regen”

Two months on from being crowned Premier League champions, it’s all been rather doom and gloom for Arsenal supporters.

They have missed out on Morgan Rogers, are being priced out of a move for Bruno Guimaraes and another top target in Julian Alvarez looks rather unattainable.

This isn’t what the script promised when they lifted the title on a sunny afternoon at Selhurst Park. They were meant to act like champions in the market, they were meant to break the bank to sign a batch of elite-level talents to take their squad to the next level.

It hasn’t been as easy as that. In fact, it’s been totally different to a year ago when they signed the likes of Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres..

For the latter, however, the lack of arrivals is only a good thing. With Alvarez and Co being linked, his place was under threat. It may still be, truth be told.

Why Viktor Gyokeres’ faces an uncertain future at Arsenal

A year ago, Andrea Berta’s main task was to reinvigorate Arsenal’s front line with the addition of a ruthless centre-forward.

Benjamin Sesko was targeted but they ultimately settled upon Gyokeres who had enjoyed a ming-boggling season in front of goal for Sporting in Portugal.

The Swede arrived at the Emirates Stadium after a 54 goal campaign for the Lisbon side but, perhaps unsurprisingly, was unable to replicate those levels in England.

In all honesty, he was never expected to, but he still ended the season as the club’s top scorer on 21 goals in all competitions. Gyokeres was sort of a success. The former Coventry City man scored goals but his general play left so much to be desired.

It took him a while to get used to Arsenal’s style of play and likewise, it took the playing staff a while to get used to playing with a striker who runs in behind, as opposed to a hold up forward like Kai Havertz or Mikel Merino.

Judging by that, Gyokeres’ struggles were unsurprising but it was disappointing to see him face issues. This was not what was promised when Arsenal landed an elite centre-forward.

His first touch went begging on so many occasions, he couldn’t hold the ball up well enough and he was not efficient in the build-up. Indeed, the 28-year-old ranked among the worst 19% of strikers in Europe’s top five leagues for expected threat in the build-up phases of play.

As a result, Arsenal are targeting another striker, someone who doesn’t just score goals but someone who is more active in other areas of the game.

How Arsenal could replace Viktor Gyokeres

The leading target for Arsenal this summer would appear to be Atletico Madrid’s Alvarez but prising him away from the Spanish capital looks like a nigh on impossible task.

Atleti are not entertaining offers and have already knocked back a bid of around £130m from Real Madrid. While they may well be more open to selling to an English side, they certainly won’t be letting him join their rivals or Barcelona, the club who are said to be the Argentine’s dream club.

Thus, if a striker is on the agenda for Arsenal this summer, alternatives will have to be looked at. Club Brugge’s Nicolo Tresoldi is one option.

The Gunners have already concluded business once with the Belgian side this summer. Winger Christos Tzolis is set to arrive in a £35m deal this week and he could be joined by a player he enjoys such a strong partnership with; Tresoldi.

Last season, Tzolis was Brugge’s star man. He scored 22 times and popped up with 29 assists. As far as goals were concerned, the latter was level.

Indeed, Tresoldi, aged just 21, netted 22 goals in 50 outings, 19 of which came in the Belgium Pro League.

He’s one of the most ruthless young strikers in the game right now, already hailed as a “Luis Suarez regen” by scout Jacek Kulig. This should be of particular intrigue to Arsenal supporters.

Cast your mind back to July 2013 and the Gunners made that famous bid of £40m and £1 to sign Suarez from Liverpool. It was an offer that was laughed away by owner John W. Henry.

Well, 13 years on and they could finally get their own version of the Uruguayan according to TEAMtalk. They report this week that Arsenal are one of a number of clubs, including Roma, Atleti and Borussia Dortmund to have made an enquiry, opening initial talks to understand what it may take to agree a deal.

Tresoldi would certainly be a left-field option for the Gunners this summer but he’s an impressive centre-forward and the fact he’s been playing in Belgium should not be a reason to dismiss his quality.

He’s clinical, he’s quick, he presses impressively and he’s also creative. Like the aforementioned Suarez, he’s capable of knitting things together. Compared to Gyokeres, the Brugge star is far more involved in the build-up and he’s certainly better in possession of the ball.

In Belgium’s top-flight last season, the youngster ranked among the best 9% of positionally similar players for chances created with 1.37 per 90 minutes. That’s a much better rate than Gyokeres.

While not the most impressive dribbler, he was ahead of the Swede in that department too.

Let’s get things straight. Tresoldi is not the needle mover Arsenal need this summer but he’d certainly give Mikel Arteta’s side something a bit different. His ability to offer more outside of goals would certainly be bad news for Gyokeres if he joins.