Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has confirmed reports suggesting Arsenal are interested in signing a striker valued at £126 million. The North London club is reportedly eager to bring in a world-class goalscorer during the current summer transfer window.
Arsenal`s striker shortlist for Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta`s current list of potential striker signings reportedly includes two primary candidates: Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko.
Reports indicate that Arsenal have held “concrete talks” regarding a potential deal for Sesko. Meanwhile, some news from Portugal suggests that Gyokeres has even received a five-year contract proposal from the Gunners.
| Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta | 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 |
Sesko concluded the 2024/2025 season with 21 goals across all competitions for Leipzig, surpassing his previous season`s total of 18. Gyokeres had an exceptional campaign, scoring an impressive 54 goals in 52 appearances.
Securing either player would undoubtedly generate considerable excitement among the fanbase, particularly after Arsenal`s challenges in maintaining consistent goal-scoring form compared to the preceding two seasons.
Arteta reportedly favours a move for Sesko, while the new sporting director, Andrea Berta, is said to prefer Gyokeres. It remains uncertain which forward they will ultimately decide to pursue.
However, Arsenal also has other forwards on their potential target list, including Atlético Madrid star Julian Alvarez.
Despite being just 25 years old, the Argentine has already won nearly every major trophy available. He had a stellar debut season at Atlético, contributing 29 goals and seven assists in 54 appearances across all competitions. This performance potentially validates the rumoured £126 million release clause included in his contract, which was reportedly inserted by Berta when he was director at Atlético and signed Alvarez from Man City for around £82 million in 2024.
Unsurprisingly, Alvarez is now attracting renewed interest from clubs in the Premier League.
Fabrizio Romano says Arsenal are keen on Julian Alvarez
Earlier this week, Spanish newspaper Marca and journalist David Medina reported that Arsenal are among the leading contenders to sign Alvarez as they search for a new striker.
When questioned about these reports linking Arsenal with Alvarez, the highly reliable Fabrizio Romano indicated in a newsletter that there is indeed truth to the information.
Romano stated that Arsenal`s interest in Alvarez is “true”. However, he highlighted that the primary obstacle is Atlético`s strong desire to keep their star striker. Berta himself is highly unlikely to trigger his own club`s substantial release clause.
“Atletico Madrid absolutely want to keep Julian,” Romano said when asked about interest from Arsenal and Liverpool. “There`s interest from Premier League, it`s true for sure but Atléti insist on keeping him.”
Alvarez possesses proven credentials as a prolific scorer and a player who performs in important matches. It`s difficult to recall him having a poor game for City, where Erling Haaland`s presence was arguably the only reason he didn`t consistently start as the main striker under Pep Guardiola.
His initial performances at Atlético leave no doubt about his quality, and he would almost certainly improve Arteta`s attacking options. Nevertheless, it appears unlikely that he will be leaving Atlético any time soon.
