The latest on Arsenal’s search for a striker as a World Cup winning forward is considered
Premier League title hopefuls Arsenal have learned what they will need to pay if they are to secure the services of serial trophy winner Julian Alvarez in the summer transfer window.
BBC Sport journalist Sami Mokbel, who was one of the first names involved in breaking the news of Arsenal’s interest in Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, believes the Gunners have held discussions over potentially adding Alvarez to their squad, but had made it clear that the Argentine’s asking price could scupper Mikel Arteta’s plans at this stage.
Alvarez made a name for himself at River Plate in Argentina before completing a move to Manchester City in 2022 just 12 months after breaking into the senior international setup.
The young forward enjoyed an unforgettable two-year-stint at the Etihad which saw him win every trophy in sight while cementing his status as a fan favourite despite often being deputy to Erling Haaland. Overall, Alvarez won six major honours in a City shirt including two league titles and the Champions League while also winning the World Cup with Argentina at international level.
He joined Atletico Madrid for £82m last summer and hit the ground running with 29 goals in 58 appearances but did have to settle for the first trophyless season of his professional career.
Julian Alvarez to Arsenal verdict reached
Sami Mokbel has claimed that Arsenal are not currently in a position to sign Julian Alvarez from Atletico and believes the Gunners will instead pursue alternative striker targets.
He explained, via Latte Firm YouTube channel: “You know the other name that I heard was Julian Alvarez. I think they knew it’s expensive, very expensive obviously, but from what I understand, I think they looked at that deal and analysed that deal and tried to figure out whether it would be within their capabilities. I suspect not.”
“I think this is why we’re seeing now this kind of race emerge between [Benjamin] Sesko and [Viktor] Gyokeres. I think those two, in terms of the finances, are the most realistic and obtainable.”
Gooner News suggests that Alvarez is likely to cost upwards of £100m which is not thought to be a feasible amount for Arsenal to spend on a striker this summer.
Liverpool World, however, does understand that the champions could make Alvarez a target in the coming weeks, with Darwin Nunez potentially being used as a makeweight to help negotiations.
Arsenal’s striker shortlist down to final two
RB Leipzig talisman Benjamin Sesko, 22, and Sporting CP hero Victor Gyokeres, 27, are now thought to be Arsenal’s two main striker targets heading into July.
Sesko scored 13 Bundesliga goals and 21 across all competitions for Leipzig last season as they finished in seventh position. He’s the leading striker for Slovenia but is still seen as a working progress despite his incredible potential and already impressive goalscoring record.
Gyokeres, meanwhile, is five years older than Sesko and is very much seen as the ready made product, but most likely with less sell on value in years to come. The Swedish international enjoyed a career best season with 39 league goals, the most in a single season since 1985, and 54 when factoring in all competitions.
Both players are understood to be valued at around £68m although there are complications in both deals for the Gunners to potentially overcome when weighing up which to sign.
Leipzig want their £68m release clause paid upfront as opposed to getting the payment in instalments which would be Arsenal’s preference.
Sporting may be more amenable to payments being made in instalments, but it’s suspected that Gyokeres may cost significantly more in terms of wages than Sesko.
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