Worse yet, the Gunners look porous at the back, and utterly ineffective in attack, which has led some fans to demand the club look for a new striker in 2025, with names like Viktor Gyokeres at the top of a lot of fan's wishlists.
However, there is another sensationally gifted centre-forward the North Londoners could target instead, an experienced international who could spell trouble for Kai Havertz's place in the team and was actually linked with the club this summer alongside the Sporting CP ace.
Why Arsenal might want Gyokeres
So, the name on everyone's lips at the moment is, of course, Gyokeres, who has been in scintillating form for Sporting and showed the world just how effective he can be in the Portuguese side's spectacular win over Manchester City in the Champions League last night.
Gyokeres-Man-City-Sporting-stats
The Swedish superstar played like a man possessed against Pep Guardiola's juggernaut, and thanks to two penalties and a brilliantly taken goal to level the score in the first half, came away with a European hat-trick against one of the best teams in the competition.
It was a potentially career-defining display for the former Coventry City star, but it probably shouldn't have come as too much of a surprise as, since moving to Lisbon, the 26-year-old has been a goalscoring machine.
For example, in 50 appearances last year, he scored a whopping 43 goals and provided 15 assists, meaning that the Stockholm-born phenom averaged 1.16 goal involvements every game.
This season has seen the 22-capped international somehow reach yet another level, scoring 23 goals and providing four assists in 17 appearances, equating to an average of 1.58 goal involvements per game, which is frankly absurd.
In all, Gyokeres looks like he could already be one of the best strikers in the world, but there is one issue, aside from the potential fee, that might prevent Arsenal from signing him: his lack of experience in a top-five league, which is not something that can be held against another forward the North Londoners could turn to.
The striker Arsenal could turn to in place of Gyokeres and to challenge or replace Havertz next year is Inter Milan's leading man, Lautaro Martinez.
Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez celebrates scoring their second goal
The Gunners were linked with a £94m move for the Argentine during the summer, and even though he has since signed a new deal with the Italian giants, that doesn't mean he wouldn't be available for the right price.
With that said, how does the World Cup winner, who renowned football podcaster Angelo Valdes described as "the best 9 in the world," compare to the Gunners' number 29? Would he be a clear upgrade worth splashing the cash on?
In short, yes, he would, as while Valdes' claim might be slightly hyperbolic, it isn't too far off the mark.
In 295 appearances for the Nerazzurri, the 27-year-old has scored 135 goals and provided 47 assists, which equates to a goal involvement on average every 1.62 games over six years.
lautaro-martinez
Moreover, if we compare his form to Havertz's from last season, there remains very little comparison regarding whom the better goalscorer is.
For example, in his 66 appearances for the club since his £65m move, the former Chelsea star has scored 21 goals and provided eight assists,equating to an average of a goal involvement every 2.27 games.
In contrast, the former Racing Club Gem has scored 33 goals and provided 11 assists in just 57 appearances, which breaks down to a goal involvement on average every 1.29 games.
Ultimately, while Havertz remains a valuable member of Arsenal's team, his raw output falls significantly below Martinez's, and with Gyokeres having never played in a top-five league, signing the Argentine in 2025 appears to be the best option for the Gunners.
0 Comments