He's Alexis 2.0: The "best striker in Europe" now wants to sign for Arsenal

Compared to their nearest competitors, this has been a quiet transfer window so far over at the Emirates Stadium for Arsenal.

Did you expect anything less? While Manchester City have spent a shedload on Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Tijjani Reijnders, Manchester United have added Matheus Cunha to their ranks.

Over in Merseyside, Premier League winners Liverpool have already confirmed the arrival of Jeremie Frimpong to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold. Florian Wirtz is also set to arrive from Bayer Leverkusen in a British transfer record £116m fee too.

So, Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta better whack out the cheque book soon with plenty of new recruits needed, particularly in attack.

The latest on Arsenal’s transfer plans this summer

Two of the biggest priorities at the Emirates are bolstering the wide positions and signing a brand new centre forward.

Out wide, we’ve seen notable links to the likes of Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams and Real Madrid’s Rodrygo.

As for the striker position, it’s all about Benjamin Sesko. Arsenal reportedly opened talks regarding a deal for the Slovenian a few weeks ago. Now, according to German reporter Florian Plettenburg, there is a ‘positive’ feeling around the deal, but no agreement is in place yet over a deal that could reach £68m to £85m.

If a deal cannot be done for the RB Leipzig star, then it’s likely Arsenal will aim to conclude a deal for Sporting superstar Viktor Gyokeres.

The Gunners were interested in the Swede’s services last summer and that interest has remained over the last year. What’s the latest on this one? Well, amid interest from Premier League rivals, Manchester United, it appears as though Gyokeres would prefer the Gunners.

That’s according to Saturday’s edition of Portuguese newspaper, Record. They suggest that north London and Arsenal is now a ‘dream’ destination for the 27-year-old attacker.

As a result, Record reveals that Man United are ‘no longer an option’ for the Sweden international. That’s despite the fact the Red Devils are now coached by Gyokeres’ previous manager at Sporting, Ruben Amorim.

According to previous reports, Arsenal have already lodged an offer worth £55m, of which £10m are bonuses.

What Viktor Gyokeres could bring to Arsenal

The great debate of the 2025 summer transfer window for Arsenal fans is whether Sesko or Gyokeres would be the better signing.

Well, as far as the raw numbers dictate, it would be the latter. There are few better finishers in the game right now than the Sporting sensation with the Swede scoring a ridiculous haul of 54 goals in 52 games throughout all competitions in 2024/25.

In the league alone, Gyokeres trumped Sesko considerably with the former now being described as “the best striker in Europe” by the Athletic, while former Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot even posed the question: “Is he the best striker in the world right now?”

That question is a tricky one considering the level the big Swede has been playing at, but regardless of that, he’d surely be a sensational signing for Arteta’s attack.

They need goals and in the form of the Sporting star, they would find more of them. But, what qualities could be bring just outside of the goals?

Well, there are echoes of a certain Alexis Sanchez here. While the Chilean was certainly better on technique alone and he boasted better close control with the ball, they do have similar builds and running styles.

Indeed, one of the most notable traits Gyokeres can bring to the game is his bulldog-like style. His slightly stockier frame means he is a “human battering ram” in the words of the Athletic’s Mark Carey.

Outlining what makes him so difficult to deal with, Peter Kisfaludy, who was academy director at Gyokeres’s former Swedish club Brommapojkarna, once said: “He is a box player but he can also drive forward with the ball because he is fast and strong.”

What Arsenal have arguably lacked since the days of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sanchez up front is pace. Gyokeres would bring that, but like Alexis, he’d also bring the physicality to stand up to the test of rugged Premier League defences.

The Chile superstar has a similar bulldog-like approach, described by FourFourTwo as someone who “plays like he hates losing”, hassling defenders and never giving them a moment’s peace.

Ultimately diminutive in size, Sanchez has a compact build like the Swede and his muscular frame, particularly in the upper half of his body, meaning he could drive forward and burst past defenders with the same sort of power we see from Gyokeres.

There are obvious differences, we cannot deny that, but by luring the Sweden international away from Lisbon, Arsenal may finally find a ruthless centre forward with the same level of efficiency, one who’s capable of replicating the South American’s incredible impact at Arsenal.

Can you just imagine Alexis in this current Arteta side? We can only dream.

Related

He’s a dream for Rice: Arsenal are about to submit bid for £84m “magician”

The outrageously talented international would be game-changing for Arsenal.