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By ROBERT SUMMERSCALES Published: 02: 36 AEST, 28 May 2025 | Updated: 03: 55 AEST, 28 May 2025 26 View comments Arsenal's striker search has reportedly widened to include a player who has won both the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA World Cup. After finishing second in the Premier League for the third season in a row, the Gunners are keen to reinforce their squad ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. Mikel Arteta's top transfer priority this summer will be to sign a new striker, with Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko both cited as possible candidates. However, one of Arsenal's preferred options is said to be former Manchester City frontman Julian Alvarez, who was part of the Argentina team that won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. According to Marca, Arsenal are leading Liverpool in the race to sign the 25-year-old but current club Atletico Madrid do not want to lose him. Alvarez joined Atletico last summer after spending two seasons at the Etihad Stadium. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is searching for a new striker to sign in the summer transfer window Former Manchester City frontman Julian Alvarez is reportedly one of Arsenal's top targets During those two seasons, Alvarez scored 36 goals in 103 appearances and won six trophies with City, including two Premier League titles and one Champions League. His Premier League career saw him net 20 goals and produce nine assists in 67 appearances, of which 44 were starts. Since moving to Madrid, he has netted 29 times in 54 matches across all competitions for Diego Simeone's side — who finished third in La Liga. Alvarez penned a six-year contract with Atletico when he arrived from City in a transfer deal worth £81million last August. His value has likely increased since then, meaning he could well be costlier to acquire than Gyokeres or Sesko. Gyokeres, who is also wanted by Manchester United after plundering 54 goals in his last 52 games for Sporting, would likely cost somewhere in the region of £60m were he to leave Lisbon this summer. Meanwhile, Leipzig intend to hold out for more than £67m for 21-year-old Slovenia international Sesko, who has scored 27 goals in two German Bundesliga seasons. Arsenal have also been linked with Sporting Lisbon and Sweden goal machine Viktor Gyokeres Another name on the Gunners' shortlist is understood to be RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko, 21 Despite maintaining their position as the second best team in England for a third year in a row, Arsenal scored significantly fewer goals during the season just ended. Arteta's men netted 69 times in their 38 league games (1. 81 goals per game), having hit 88 (2. 32 per game) and 91 (2. 39 per game) in the previous two campaigns. No Arsenal player reached double figures for Premier League goals in 2024-25, with Kai Havertz leading the way with just nine. Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard notched eight each, while makeshift striker Mikel Merino ended the season with seven.
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