Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has been criticised for overlooking two Liverpool forwards during last summer’s search for a new striker.
The Gunners ultimately invested £64million in Viktor Gyokeres after a lengthy pursuit of attacking reinforcements, but former Arsenal academy striker Jay Bothroyd believes the club could have chosen differently.
Bothroyd has pointed towards Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike as two players Arsenal should have pushed harder to sign, with both eventually ending up at Liverpool during the 2025 summer window.
Arsenal’s missed opportunities in attack
The north London side were searching for a forward capable of adding greater threat to Mikel Arteta’s attack, and Gyokeres arrived at the Emirates after producing extraordinary numbers with Sporting.
The Sweden international had scored 97 goals in 102 appearances for the Portuguese club, making him one of the most prolific strikers in European football at the time.
However, his transition to the Premier League has been more complicated than expected. Although he scored 21 goals last season and helped Arsenal secure the league title, he has started the current campaign on the bench, with Kai Havertz being used in a more central attacking role.
Bothroyd believes Arsenal could have solved that problem by signing Isak or Ekitike instead.
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Bothroyd explains Arsenal’s transfer blunder
Liverpool initially signed Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt for around £69m before completing their spectacular £125m deal for Isak later in the window.
Bothroyd told Football Uncensored: “When I look at Julian Alvarez, I think he is exactly what Arsenal needed.
“I wanted to get Alexander Isak from Newcastle, I think that was the perfect signing.
“Then Hugo Ekitike, that was a perfect signing.”
Bothroyd believes either forward would have represented a major addition for Arteta, while he also highlighted Julian Alvarez as the profile of striker Arsenal should have been targeting.
Alvarez remains an option in the wider picture, but Arsenal now face the difficult reality of trying to land a player they failed to secure during the original recruitment process.
All this people are putting conditions to Arteta and he is listening to them which is all to rubishis was Alexander Isak not at Newcastle last two seasons was he not at Liverpool last season what was his numbers look Victor Gyokere single handedly qualified Sweden in the world cup tournament that has just gone Victor Gyokere has no problem his problem was the one Mikel Arteta created because you can’t score while on the bench at the same time Mikel Arteta make a very big mistake by trying to swap Gyokeres with Julian Alvarez who was constantly snubbing him no should blame Victor Gyokere we are all human beings when a coach who supposed to protect you is exposing you to danger what will you do Mikel Arteta committed too much blunders in this summer singing both in incoming and out going we can all see how Gabriel Jesus is banging goals for Barcelona while Arsenal are struggling to score goals a whole Arsenal can’t score even one goal against Brighton last Saturday what a shame all the blame must go Mikel Arteta and the board look every player wants to play for Arsenal but Arteta, Andrew Bertha and the board messed everything up Morgan Rogers wanted to play for Arsenal but they rubishis everything they did not seized the opportunity of a champion league status instead they begin to pay attention to the players that are not interested in joining Arsenal what a big blunders in the players of Vinicius Jr and later Julian Alvarez.
Please they should leave Victor Gyokere alone he is ready when Arsenal were not ready.