Arsenal might see £80m bid accepted to seal their greatest signing since Rice

Over the summer season Andrea Berta’s main job at Arsenal was clear; he wanted to signal a brand new striker.

Forged your minds again a 12 months in the past and the job was easy then too. The Gunners wanted to signal a centre-forward lengthy earlier than Viktor Gyokeres lastly arrived over the hotter months.

Gabriel Jesus’ horrendous ACL damage simply over 12 months in the past rocked the Gunners after which when Kai Havertz sustained a hamstring drawback simply days after the window shut, it left Mikel Arteta with a fellow Mikel within the form of Merino as his main centre-forward.

To his credit score, he carried out admirably, notably scoring in that exceptional 3-0 win over Actual Madrid within the Champions League.

Nevertheless, we’re now a 12 months on from that preliminary want for a brand new striker and it is arguably nonetheless there.

Arsenal taking a look at £80m striker

Gyokeres was the popular candidate so far as Berta was involved over the summer season, however it’s protected to say he is not really set the world alight.

Jesus and Havertz are actually again from damage and solely time will inform as as to if it spurs the Swede into some extra spritely performances.

In that regard, the preliminary indicators are good. Each Jesus and Gyokeres discovered the web on the San Siro final week as Arsenal defeated Inter Milan 3-1.

That being stated, there’s a sense that the Gunners want extra firepower and so they might land that within the form of Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez.

Coincidentally, it was Berta who brokered Atletico’s transfer for the Argentine again in 2024 when he left Manchester Metropolis behind which is definitely solely excellent news for Arsenal.

Stories in direction of the again finish of final week prompt that the north Londoners have held preliminary talks concerning a transfer however they’ve now been instructed how a lot it could value to convey Alvarez again to English soccer.

Soccer Insider report that an £80m provide is prone to be accepted by Atleti if they’re keen to money in on the previous Man Metropolis ahead.

Pete O’Rourke acknowledged that it will be “an enormous deal for Atletico to even think about promoting him” earlier than revealing that “you’re in all probability wanting round £80m plus for somebody like him.”

This is not a transfer that is prone to occur this month with Arsenal needing to attend till the summer season to push by a possible transfer.

Why Alvarez could possibly be Arsenal’s greatest signing since Declan Rice

The squad constructing carried out in the course of the Arteta regime has been nothing in need of distinctive. Certainly, Arsenal have been counseled for his or her squad depth this season. It is arguably the best in Europe and it is actually the perfect in English soccer.

The record-breaking arrival of Declan Rice almost three years in the past has now taken this Arsenal group to a different degree. Bear in mind these two free-kicks towards Madrid? After all, you do. It has cemented the midfielder as probably the greatest gamers on the planet.

Since his arrival, they’ve made additional game-changing additions within the form of Riccardo Calafiori, Martin Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze. That stated, there’s been one place during which the Spaniard has struggled to essentially nail; the centre-forward function.

It was thought that final summer season would give Arsenal the mandatory firepower to go on and win the most important of trophies. Contemplating they’re high of the Premier League and Champions League, they’re properly positioned to do this.

But, earlier than their conflict with Manchester United on Sunday, Arteta’s males had drawn their final two Premier League matches 0-0. Their objectives in that 3-2 defeat to Michael Carrick’s males then noticed them discover the web through an personal aim and sure, you guessed it, a set-piece.

Gyokeres – the scorer of simply 9 objectives this time period – just isn’t delivering and to place it bluntly, he ghosts by so many video games with out making a lot of an influence.

Alternatively, Alvarez ticks loads of packing containers. Not solely does he have expertise of English soccer however he is greater than only a goalscorer. Crucially, he is a creator, somebody who loves being concerned within the play.

To this point this season, the 25-year-old has taken round 50 touches per 90 minutes, double that of Gyokeres, who has taken simply 24 per 90.

Beforehand heralded as “the perfect ahead on the planet” by journalist Roy Neymer, the Argentine netted 29 objectives in 57 appearances throughout all competitions final time period. 2025/26 hasn’t been fairly so prolific for Alvarez, having gone goalless throughout his final 9 LaLiga outings, however he has nonetheless bagged 11 occasions.

No matter his present run of kind, he would symbolize a colossal improve on Gyokeres and would seem like the lacking piece of the jigsaw.

Alvarez vs Gyokeres: 2025/26 League stats
Stat (per 90 minutes)	Alvarez	Gyokeres
Objectives	0.5	0.4
Assists	0.2	0
Photographs	2.1	1.6
Shot accuracy %	60.61%	45.83%
Conversion charge	21.21%	20,83%
Probabilities created	2.3	0.8
Passes accomplished	26.8	6.8
Move accuracy	83.79%	61.96%
Touches	50.3	24.1
Stats by Squawka/Opta.

In a complete array of metrics, Alvarez betters Arsenal’s quantity 14 this season and given he has carried out in England earlier than, it will be troublesome to envisage this transfer being a failure.

Arteta has wanted a striker for years. He is arguably wanted yet one more than the Rice signing in 2023. Like when the previous West Ham man moved to the Emirates Stadium, this could possibly be a transfer that knits all the things collectively.