Arsenal’s pursuit of another elite attacker has produced an unexpected development, with the club exploring whether one of their current strikers could be used to unlock a blockbuster agreement.
Mikel Arteta remains determined to improve his forward line despite winning the Premier League last season, suggesting the Gunners are unwilling to stand still while their rivals strengthen.
The proposed structure would reduce the cash required for an extremely expensive target, but it would also mean moving on from a major signing after only one campaign.
Arsenal must therefore decide whether this is a genuine opportunity to upgrade or an unnecessarily ruthless reaction to an inconsistent debut season.
Arsenal consider player exchange offer to sign Álvarez
According to talkSPORT, Arsenal have explored offering Viktor Gyökeres as part of negotiations for Atlético Madrid forward Julián Álvarez.
Preliminary discussions have taken place, although no final strategy has been agreed and the possibility remains at an exploratory stage.
Álvarez is considered one of Arteta’s leading attacking targets because of his Premier League experience, pressing intensity and ability to operate as a central striker or supporting forward.
However, Atlético’s valuation remains a major obstacle.
FourFourTwo reports that Atlético would want more than £100m, while Arsenal have been reluctant to exceed £90m. Including Gyökeres could narrow that financial gap, although Atlético would still need to value the Sweden international highly enough for the structure to work.
Decision could define the attacking future of Arteta’s team
Álvarez has already indicated that he is open to leaving Madrid.
Reuters reported that the Argentina international had spoken with Atlético and expressed a desire to pursue a new challenge, although he has not publicly identified Arsenal as his preferred destination.
Arsenal should seriously pursue Álvarez, but sacrificing Gyökeres after one season would be a major call.
The Argentine is more versatile and better suited to Arteta’s fluid attacking system, yet Gyökeres could still improve considerably after fully adapting to English football.
A cash-plus-player deal makes sense only if Arsenal are convinced Álvarez is the final piece of their attack.
Otherwise, trading away a proven goalscorer while also paying a substantial fee could create more risk than value.
Sources: Arsenal enter race for Liverpool target who has boosted his profile at the World Cup
There is an old saying of “digging a new hole to fill an old one”…That would be exactly what Arsenal are trying to do if they do swap Gyokeres for Alvarez, with money on top of the deal.If Arsenal wants to retain a fearsome forward line, they should pursue this deal independently, especially considering our injury history.. Swapping Gyokeres for Alvarez will be a very big mistake. Gyokeres is a very prolific Striker any day ,and he has already proven that by scoring over 23 goals in his first season at Arsenal..
Alveraz is not worth more than £80m, considering his average league STATs this year and poor world cup performances. He is being valued on his past history rather than recent history, which is all that matters.
Gyokeres should not be sold as he beat the 20goal mark in his first season with Arsenal and strong improvements are expected as he is getting used to the service and pace of the premier League with Arsenal.
Viera age only 26 had a great season on loan with Hamburg and had a 50% goal involvement playing in the central attacking midfield position and creating fast link ups and dribbling past the low blocks, which is just what Arsenal needs.
To sell him for under £20m would be a crime. He could be the cover for Oderguard as his AMC position STATs is very high.
If Newcastle won’t accept £40m plus £20m add-ons for Bruno, which is more than fair for a soon to be 29 year old, then Arsenal should look elsewhere. Maybe a swap deal involving Jesus for Bruno can be reached.