Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has heaped praise on a reported Andrea Berta transfer target, amid claims they're the main contender for him if he does eventually leave his current club.
Arsenal identify striker targets as Berta searches for centre-forward
Injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus left Mikel Arteta exposed during the second half of 2024/2025, so much so that midfielder Mikel Merino needed to be deployed in an emergency striker role.
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The Spain international is on his way to north London.
Even before Arsenal were left without a recognised number nine for an extended period, their struggles to find the net resulted in Liverpool beating them to the Premier League title by a seismic 10-point gap.
Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports) Money on new signings
19/20 - winter £0
20/21 - summer £81.5m
20/21 - winter £900k
21/22 - summer £156.8m
21/22 - winter £1.8m
22/23 - summer £121.5m
22/23 - winter £59m
23/24 - summer £208m
23/24 - winter £0
24/25 - summer £101.5m
24/25 - winter £0
The north Londoners scored just 69 goals in the league, far lower than the 91 and 88 they'd scored in the previous two top-flight campaigns, which adds further weight to the argument that Arsenal quite simply must bring in a prolific frontman before the start of next season.
Arsenal have been heavily linked with Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres for the last three weeks and beyond, with some reports in Portugal claiming Berta has already proposed contract terms to the Swede (O Jogo).
Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres celebrates scoring their third goal to complete his hat-trick
Meanwhile, reliable media sources indicate that Arsenal are holding "concrete" talks over a move for RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko as well (Florian Plettenberg), with Arteta and Berta weighing up their best options.
Berta has been holding "numerous" talks with key attacking targets, as he's been doing when it comes to Arsenal's preferred names for the wing (Florian Plettenberg), so it would be little surprise if the Italian is doing the same for Arsenal's pursuit of a new striker.
Another centre-forward who's been linked this week is £114,000-per-week%20on%20a%20weekly%20basis) Atlético Madrid star Julian Alvarez.
Julian-Alvarez-Atletico-Madrid
Spanish newspaper Marca even reported that Arsenal are the "strongest bidder" for Alvarez, even if Fabrizio Romano has since claimed that Diego Simeone's side will stand firm in their bid to keep hold of the Argentine.
Thierry Henry hails "complete" Julian Alvarez amid Arsenal links
Speaking on The Overlap, Henry shared his verdict on the ex-Man City striker, amid these claims that Arsenal are expressing an interest.
Henry is quoted as saying Alvarez is the "most complete" number nines he's seen recently, with the Arsenal legend even calling the 25-year-old one of his favourite current strikers.
"One of my favourite 9s out there at the minute is Julian Alvarez," said Henry.
Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez
"Putting pressure, playing alone, low, whatever you want to do. He can hold the ball alone. He played at the Olympic games, he played the Copa America, I don't hear him saying 'I'm tired', and the way he plays it to you, you know, I just like him."
Even if Atlético became open to selling, the cost of a potential deal would be lofty, with some reports claiming he has a £126 million release clause in his contract.
After an excellent debut campaign in La Liga, where he's racked up 29 goals and seven assists in all competitions, tempting him back to the Premier League so soon is set to be a big ask for Berta.