22 years in the making. 22 years of hurt, 22 years of anxiety, 22 years of wondering what if. However, at long, long last, Arsenal are now Premier League champions again.
The job Mikel Arteta has done at the Emirates Stadium has been nothing short of incredible. Backed by the Kroenkes even when the going got tough and through three second place finishes in a row, their show of faith has been well and truly vindicated.
It's safe to say the last few years have been full of anguish. Arteta and his side have been left wondering what if. What if they'd picked up this point? What if they hadn't lost that game?
The biggest what if, however, when comparing themselves to Manchester City must be what if they had Erling Haaland? The missing piece of the jigsaw for a number of years has felt like a striker.
Most valuable players in the Premier League (Haaland, Saka, Rice, Palmer, Wirtz, Isak, Szoboszlai)
At the back, the Gunners are one of the best teams in the land, perhaps the best team, better than any other side on the planet.
Yet, as we saw against Burnley when Arteta's men 1-0, they have struggled in the final third. Viktor Gyokeres did not start the game on Monday night but he has been the man entrustred with being Arsenal's version of Haaland this season.
The Swede, however, has endured mixed fortunes after his big-money move from Sporting.
Arsenal could sign big-money Gyokeres replacement
To his credit, Gyokeres has really come alive towards the back end of the season. Prior to coming off the bench against the Clarets at the start of the week, he had scored nine times in his last 13 Premier League games.
Gyokeres-Gabriel-Arsenal
Yet, the fact of the matter is that for large periods of 2025/26, he has not been good enough.
The former Coventry City man loses the ball on an all too regular basis, fails to hold it adequately and is seemingly incapable of bringing teammates into play.
However, something has changed in the last few weeks. He scored twice against Fulham and while he did not find the net against Atletico Madrid in the semi-final second leg, his overall forward play was phenomenal. It was classic striker stuff.
|Best goal conversion rate - Premier League|
|Player|Conversion rate|
|---|
|1) Will Osula|30.4%|
|2) Eli Junior Kroupi|23.8%|
|3) Noah Okafor|22.9%|
|4) Danny Welbeck|22.6%|
|5) Nick Woltemade|22.6%|
|6) Brian Brobbey|21.9%|
|7) Tomas Soucek|21.7%|
|8) Thierno Barry|21.6%|
|9) Viktor Gyokeres|21.6%|
|10) Joao Pedro|21.1%|
There is still a sense, though, that Arsenal can do better. That's where Julian Alvarez comes into the equation.
Plenty of reports in the last few months have detailed the Gunners' interest in the Argentine forward, with some even suggesting that talks have already been held.
julian-alvarez-atletico-madrid
Well, the latest on their pursuit of the Atleti attacker brings both good and bad news. TEAMtalk report that Arsenal have indeed held talks with the player's reprsentatives but relaying quotes from Spanish journalist Roberto Gomez, Barcelona do not have the money to sign him. and "the team the player wants is PSG."
So, it'll be a battle between the two Champions League finalists for a man with a reported value of £100m or more.
Why Alvarez could be Arsenal's answer to Haaland
Haaland, eh? Where would this Arsenal super team be with him in their side? Recent discussions have pitted the current team against the Invincibles but one thing that separates them is the forward line. There is no topping Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp.
Haaland, however, would give the great Frenchman a pretty decent run for his money. He has been one of the best strikers we have ever seen in the Premier League, scoring 48 times in the last two seasons.
Due to that, Manchester City had to sacrifice Alvarez. The Argentine was playing second fiddle to the Norwegian for a number of years and it was no surprise to see that suitors, including Atletico came calling as they made him their main man.
Rice-Alvarez-Atletico-Arsenal
While he may not be quite as prolific as Haaland, it's easy to suggest his overall game is actually better much. Put it simply, this is a signing that could make Arsenal a true force.
They could already be on course to end the season with two trophies but they have won eight Premier League matches this season by a scoreline of 1-0. Despite the arrival of Gyokeres, they need more goals and they need more creativity. Alvarez would bring that in spades.
Described as a "future Ballon d'Or winner" by Joe Cole, the former Man City man could finally realise that potential by moving to north London. After all, both Gabriel and Declan Rice have been in the conversation this season for taking Arsenal towards a silverware laden campaign.
First and foremost, however, he could bridge the gap between City and Arsenal's attacks.
Julian-Alvarez-timeless-stats
Why? Well, last season he found the net on 29 occasions for Atleti, also assisting seven goals. This term, he's got 20 goals and nine assists to his name.
A vital part of the 26-year-old's game is that he's not just a goalscorer, he's a creator too. He may have been more about the goals in Madrid, but during his final campaign at the Etihad, he registered 13 assists on top of his 19 goals.
Julian-Alvarez-Atletico-Madrid
This is an elite player, someone who, unlike Gyokeres, boasts the necessary toolkit to thrive as Arsenal's leading man in attack. Bukayo Saka would no doubt be licking his lips if this move was done.
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