The mega-money target Arsenal must prioritise over Kenan Yildiz

Arsenal have been here, there and everywhere this summer in their pursuit of a new winger. Christos Tzolis may well have already arrived but he was not the only target the Gunners had in mind.

Morgan Rogers was the number one target only for Chelsea to trump them to the signing of the England attacker, paying a jaw-dropping £117m transfer fee.

Likewise, they also were unable to complete a deal for Vinicius Junior. As with Rogers, his heart lay elsewhere. This time it was not the posh streets of Chelsea that were preferred, it was the glamour of Madrid.

Arsenal thought they had a real shot at signing Vini but Real ultimately upped their contract offer to keep one of the world’s best wingers in Spain.

As a result, the Gunners have turned their attention to Kenan Yildiz of Juventus.

Why Arsenal are pushing to sign Kenan Yildiz

With Rogers and Vini off the table, Mikel Arteta has made Turkiye winger Yildiz one of his primary targets.

The problem is, the Juve star signed a new contract earlier this year making a deal rather tricky to negotiatie. However, as they did with Vini, they will push hard to get this one across the line in the remaining weeks of the transfer window.

Why do they like him? Well, first and foremost, he’s cut from a similar cloth as a certain Bukayo Saka. He’s so creative, so fleet-footed. He dazzles with the ball at his feet, notably ranking among the best 11% of wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries last season.

In the carrying department, he’s very similar to Vinicius Junior and in the versatility department, he’s an awful lot like Rogers.

It would appear that Arteta has stumbled upon the perfect alternative here. Like with Chelsea’s new record signing, Yildiz is capable of playing as a winger but also as a second striker / number 10.

He was far superior from central positions than he was off the left in 2025/26, registering 13 goal involvements – seven goals and six assists – in 19 outings. On the wing, the 21-year-old fired home just three goals.

While he would be a phenomenal capture, particularly this late in the window, there remains another target who would no doubt be an even better signing.

How Arsenal could seal a better signing than Yildiz

Yildiz is a tricky customer, he’s a lively and menacing threat in the final third. That said, would he be the best option for Arsenal this summer?

Well, perhaps a centre-forward should be the primary objective between now and the close of the transfer window.

REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

In Viktor Gyokeres, they have a prolific striker, the scorer of 21 goals last term, but he leaves much to be desired in terms of his overall play. Arteta loves Kai Havertz but he is the opposite to Gyokeres, he does not score enough goals.

It explains links to Vinicius Junior this summer, as well as Victor Osimhen. Arsenal want more goals. It also explains links to the ever-reliable Julian Alvarez.

The Gunners have been touted with a move for the Argentine all summer long but, for now, it looks as though he will staying at Atletico Madrid after a lengthy saga.

Real Madrid made a £130m bid that was rejected while the player’s dream move is Barcelona. Yet, with Atleti not willing to sell to a Spanish rival, it has always meant the door is ajar for Arsenal to walk through.

The latest on their pursuit comes courtesy of The Independent who report that after missing out on Vini, Alvarez has been the ‘main target’. That said, their interest has somewhat cooled given he wants to seal a switch to Barca.

If that deal does not materialise, there is a chance he ends up at the Emirates Stadium. So, why would he be a better addition than Yildiz?

Well, to put it simply, the World Cup winner is the dream striker for Arsenal. He simply has everything Arteta could want. He’s also a Premier League-proven player, something Yildiz does not have on his side.

The boss has always prefered proven players where possible and in Alvarez, he would get exactly that. He’d be landing a Premier League winning forward, someone who has proven in the last few years that he is one of the best attackers in Europe right now.

Last term, the Argentina star scored 20 goals, adding to the 29 he fired home a year previously. He’s so efficient and crucially, he brings others into play too. In that regard, he’d be a huge upgrade on Gyokeres.

While the Swede ranks as lowly as the bottom 10% of strikers in Europe for successful dribbles per 90 minutes and in the worst 52% for big chances created from open play, Alvarez excels in that regard.

The 26-year-old sat among the top 6% of positionally similar players for big chances created from open play and among the finest 20% for successful dribbles. The difference is night and day.

At his age and with his experience, Alvarez represents another win now signing for Arteta. It could well be a move that cements their dynasty for years to come.