Arsenal’s striker situation has become one of the biggest talking points of the summer.
Despite Viktor Gyokeres helping the club win the Premier League title in his first season at the Emirates, reports have continued to link the Gunners with elite forwards from across Europe.
One of those names is Julian Alvarez.
Recent rumours even suggested Arsenal and Atletico Madrid had agreed a blockbuster swap deal involving both players, with the Gunners paying an additional fee to bring the Argentine to north London.
Those claims have since been downplayed, and it now appears Mikel Arteta has little interest in letting Gyokeres leave anyway.
Having seen both strikers in the Premier League, who would you sign for Arsenal now: Benjamin Sesko or Viktor Gyokeres?
Mikel Arteta does not want Arsenal to sell Viktor Gyokeres
Gyokeres arrived at Arsenal under huge pressure.
The striker was signed to help turn the Gunners from title challengers into champions, and it is fair to say he delivered on that objective.
His goals played a major role in Arsenal lifting the Premier League trophy, which is one of the reasons why the club are not entertaining the idea of moving him on after just one season.
According to TeamTalk, Atletico Madrid would theoretically be open to discussing Gyokeres as part of a wider arrangement.
The Swedish international is highly rated inside the Spanish club, and there are admirers of his profile within Atletico’s recruitment department.
However, the report makes it clear that any deal involving Gyokeres currently looks unlikely. That is because both Arteta and Andrea Berta remain huge admirers of the striker.
The report claims that the Arsenal manager and sporting director believe Gyokeres still has significant room for development and are convinced he can become one of the Premier League’s leading forwards over the coming years.
As a result, Arsenal would be extremely reluctant to include him in any negotiations.
How do you RATE Viktor Gyokeres’ first season at Arsenal👀
Arsenal are right to back Viktor Gyokeres
This feels like the correct decision from Arteta.
Yes, Alvarez is a magnificent player and would improve almost any side in world football. However, Arsenal have only just signed Gyokeres and have already seen evidence that he can thrive in English football.
More importantly, there is every reason to believe his best years are still ahead of him.
Strikers often improve significantly after their first season at a new club, particularly when they are adapting to a different league and a different tactical system. Gyokeres has already helped Arsenal win the title despite still having aspects of his game that can be refined.
That should excite supporters rather than encourage thoughts of a sale.
There is also a broader point here – Arsenal have spent years searching for a reliable goalscorer capable of leading the line in a title-winning team. They finally appear to have found one, so selling him after a single season would send a strange message, regardless of who might arrive in return.
Arteta and Berta clearly see Gyokeres as a major part of Arsenal’s future. Based on what he showed last season, it is difficult to argue with that assessment.
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