Signing a striker was a top priority for Andrea Berta last summer during his first spell as head of recruitment at Arsenal.
Everything was fine until they added more firepower to the team, but the Gunners were planning on moving forward before Berta’s arrival, so instead of bringing on Benjamin Sesco, they brought on Victor Goqueres in his place.
It has been a difficult first season in English football, but the jury is still out on the Swede. It can certainly feel harsh. Gokeres scored 21 goals as Arsenal won their first Premier League title in 22 years and reached the Champions League final.
He was the club’s leading scorer, and although he was great in front of goal, his ability to hold onto the ball and connect with his teammates remained lacking for much of the season.
So another new striker could be heading to the Emirates Stadium as the window is set to open for another summer of fun. Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Crupi is also on the list, but he is not the only one.
Arsenal could spend big to sign a replacement for Crupi
Crupi is one of Arsenal’s main targets for next season. The teenager has burst onto the scene for the Cherries this season in quite some style and has attracted a lot of interest, perhaps most notably from Champions League winners PSG.
But Arsenal will be hoping that Fabrizio Romano, who this week revealed the Gunners, City and Luis Enrique’s side have made a call to Bournemouth in a bid to sign Crupi, will be at the forefront of their hopes for him.
However, this is not a cheap deal. Marco Rose’s side do not want to sell and will not sell for a fee of less than £80m.
Even if the Gunners were to sign a centre-forward this summer, it would not be cheap. Another name that has been doing the rounds regularly is Julian Alvarez.
Arsenal love him and want to trade him. Reports over the past few months have outlined that. However, they are now making new moves to force the deal through.
This comes as reports on the continent claim that PSG, Barcelona and the Gunners are all in contention to sign the Argentine.
Alvarez’s priority is to move to Barça, but it is unlikely that Barça can afford his price. A fee of £100m has been touted, but the report outlines that the actual cost could be around £112m.
Berta is said to be “confident” of securing the player’s move, with Arsenal having held talks with Atletico in recent days to make further inquiries.
Comparison between Alvarez and Crupi
It would be a big story if Arsenal were to sign Crupi this summer. Mainly because of what happened at the end of the season.
In fact, it was the youngster’s goal against Manchester City in the penultimate game of the season that clinched the Premier League title for the Gunners.
However, this move has more than just sentimental and romantic appeal. The 19-year-old is so good that he currently holds the record for most goals scored by a teenager in his debut season in the Premier League (13).
He is one of the best young players on the planet and is being hailed by some as ‘the next Mbappe’, but he is yet to be proven or tested at the top level.
Everyone who has seen Crupi has nothing bad to say about him. He is versatile and can play as a striker or just behind, but he is also a natural goalscorer. he is very talented. Only four players in England’s top flight this season had a higher conversion rate.
Highest conversion rate – Premier League 25/26 | |
|---|---|
player | conversion rate |
1) Will Osla | 30.4% |
2) Noah Okafor | 22.9% |
3) Danny Welbeck | 22.6% |
4) Nick Waltemaid | 22.6% |
5) i.e. junior croup | 22.0% |
6) Victor Gokeres | 21.2% |
But he’s no Alvarez. The Argentine has improved tremendously since joining Atletico from Manchester City and is now one of the best forwards in the entire game.
The Atleti star, hailed as a “future Ballon d’Or winner” by former England international Joe Cole, is in a similar position to Crupi.
Not only is he an out-and-out No. 9 who can play alone at the top end of the pitch, but he’s also great when playing slightly behind the striker. He did just that at City, playing alongside Erling Haaland in a great partnership.
In his final season at the Etihad, the 26-year-old scored 19 goals and provided 13 assists. He’s definitely and proven to be better than Crupi at this point.
Álvarez has flourished since his move to Madrid, scoring 29 goals in 2024/25 and a further 20 for the Spanish giants in 2025/26.
Bournemouth’s brilliant teenager may reach that level in the near future and, as important as it is to plan for the future, it feels like Arsenal are now in winning territory.
They won the league championship for the first time in over 20 years and are aiming to start a dynasty.
Signing Crupi wouldn’t be a bad deal. In fact, he would be a surprising coup given the clubs in the race to sign him. However, Alvarez is already one of the best players and has proven that he can do it not only in Spain but also in England.
He is a player who could be the missing piece of the puzzle as Arsenal aim to finally win the Champions League.
He’s like Saka and Rodgers: one of ‘England’s biggest talents’ wants move to Arsenal
Arsenal could sign one of the best young players in the country.
