**Gary Lineker claims Arsenal could dominate the Premier League if they manage to secure the signature of Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez.**
The Gunners are believed to have held informal discussions with the Argentinian international’s entourage ahead of a move this summer, and Lineker believes he would improve the forward line:
“I saw they were linked with Julian Alvarez, who I know is not entirely happy with life at Atletico. Now that is the sort of player you know can handle the big occasion – he’s a World Cup winner for crying out loud.”
“Someone like that at Arsenal would be game over. But they do need one or two of these current forwards to start scoring on a reasonably regular basis.”
What are the chances of Arsenal recruiting the forward?
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Sporting director Andrea Berta is the man who signed Alvarez from Manchester City during his time at Atletico, and he still has a [**good relationship**](https://goonernews.com/blog/arsenal-transfer-news-julian-alvarez-5/) with the player’s representatives.
That means there shouldn’t be any issues in terms of persuading the 25-year-old to make the switch to the Emirates.
The biggest hurdle will be the price tag. Atletico only bought him at the start of last season, and it is believed that they would demand a fee in excess of €100m (£87m). There is a chance that the Gunners would have to break their transfer record.
What would Alvarez’s arrival mean for Viktor Gyokeres?
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While the Argentine can play out wide, he is best deployed as a No.9, and the fact that Berta has held discussions with the player’s camp does suggest Arsenal are looking for an upgrade up front.
That wouldn’t bode well for Gyokeres, who has struggled in his first season at the North London club. 9 goals in 28 appearances is not exactly terrible, but they are not the sort of numbers fans were expecting when the Gunners paid £63.5m for the Swedish international last July.
[**Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here**](https://goonernews.com/blog/arsenal-first-team-squad/)