{"id":49038,"date":"2026-06-22T11:09:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T15:09:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/06\/22\/130m-star-becomes-arsenals-dream-target\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T11:09:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T15:09:12","slug":"130m-star-becomes-arsenals-dream-target","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/06\/22\/130m-star-becomes-arsenals-dream-target\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00a3130m star becomes Arsenal&#8217;s &#8216;dream&#8217; target"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/06\/22\/130m-star-becomes-arsenals-dream-target\/#129-pound_striker_becomes_Arsenals_dream_transfer_target\" >129-pound striker becomes Arsenal&#8217;s dream transfer target<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/06\/22\/130m-star-becomes-arsenals-dream-target\/#Comparison_of_Alvarez_and_Victor_Goqueres\" >Comparison of Alvarez and Victor Goqueres<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/06\/22\/130m-star-becomes-arsenals-dream-target\/#New_Alexis_Sanchez_agrees_to_sign_with_Arsenal\" >New Alexis Sanchez agrees to sign with Arsenal<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Last summer, Andrea Berta had one main goal in his first transfer window as Arsenal&#8217;s head of recruitment. It was to sign a new centre-forward.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<p>Initially, it looked like Benjamin Sesco was set to move on. That was Mikel Arteta&#8217;s choice, but seeing the financial implications of a deal to bring the Slovenian to England, he instead opted for the cheaper and proven Viktor G\u00f6keres.<\/p>\n<p>Arteta was also on board with this move, but in the end it was Berta&#8217;s initiative.<\/p>\n<p>    Did they find the right person? Well, the Gunners won the Premier League, so it&#8217;s hard to argue too much with the business they got done a year ago.<\/p>\n<p>However, there was still room for improvement in Gokeres&#8217; overall play. Explain your connection to the new striker.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"pound-129-striker-is-now-arsenal-39-s-dream-transfer-target\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"129-pound_striker_becomes_Arsenals_dream_transfer_target\"><\/span>\n                        <strong>129-pound striker becomes Arsenal&#8217;s dream transfer target<\/strong><br \/>\n               <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Arsenal&#8217;s relationship with Gokeres is not perfect, which has led Arsenal to consider their options at the top end of the pitch.<\/p>\n<p>Bournemouth&#8217;s Eli Junior Crupi has already been linked with Bournemouth this summer, making him a key target for Arteta and co.<\/p>\n<p>    The Frenchman was exceptional as the Cherries finished in the European places. No teenager has scored more goals (13) than Crupi did in his debut season in the Premier League.<\/p>\n<p>Alas, the asking price of between \u00a380 million and \u00a3100 million seems far too high for someone with just one year&#8217;s experience at the top level.<\/p>\n<div class=\"w-display-card-vignette\">\n<div class=\"qz\">\n<div class=\"qz-content\">\n<div id=\"qend\">\n<p>you scored<\/p>\n<p>out of 20<\/p>\n<p>      <button class=\"e-replay\" onclick=\"startQuiz()\">\u21a9 Play again<\/button>\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Arsenal are keen to sign Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid, albeit at a high price. There has been a lot of speculation surrounding the Argentine this summer, with the Gunners reportedly already discussing a move with the Argentine&#8217;s camp.<\/p>\n<p>Real Madrid recently made a \u00a3130m bid to lure the forward across the Spanish capital, but it was literally laughed out. Atleti do not want to be sold to another Spanish team, which could open the door for a return to the Premier League.<\/p>\n<p>    BBC&#8217;s Sami Mokbel spoke about the potential signing on the Latte Farm Arsenal podcast over the weekend. &#8220;Arsenal have a long-term interest in Julian Alvarez and it&#8217;s a deal they want, and it would be a dream signing for Arteta and Berta. &#8220;If there&#8217;s any way Arsenal think it&#8217;s possible this summer, it would leave Goqueres in doubt.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-alvarez-compares-to-viktor-gyokeres\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Comparison_of_Alvarez_and_Victor_Goqueres\"><\/span>\n                        <strong>Comparison of Alvarez and Victor Goqueres<\/strong><br \/>\n               <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If Gokeres is to be judged solely on goals, he has had an excellent debut season in north London.<\/p>\n<p>Admittedly, he may not have reached the dizzying heights he achieved with Lisbon, especially in the 2024\/25 season when he scored 54 goals in 52 games, but he was never going to repeat that in England.<\/p>\n<p>    Instead, he found the back of the net 21 times. He ended their title-winning campaign as Arsenal&#8217;s top scorer in all competitions. That&#8217;s not bad, right?<\/p>\n<p>But the Gunners have been in the market for an elite striker in recent years, and the Swedish superstar is far from the answer.<\/p>\n<p>For a long time now, Arsenal have been using a false number nine as their striker. Mikel Merino had great success playing as a makeshift center forward because he was similar in style to Kai Havertz.<\/p>\n<p>Germans are preferred in important situations. He started in the Carabao Cup final, started in the league match against Manchester City and also started and scored in the Champions League final.<\/p>\n<p>    This is because it draws players into the game more than Gokeres. Well, if they can get Alvarez, they&#8217;ll have a player who can not only assist, but also score with great regularity.<\/p>\n<p>It was only recently that the Argentina star was described by his compatriot and journalist Roy Nemer as &#8220;the best centre-forward in the world&#8221; after his debut season with Atleti.<\/p>\n<p>After leaving Manchester City, the 26-year-old scored 29 goals for Atleti in the 2024\/25 season. He then added another 20 goals in the 2025\/26 season.<\/p>\n<div class=\"table-container\">\n<table border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"1\" cellspacing=\"1\" style=\"\" align=\"\" summary=\"\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th colspan=\"3\" scope=\"col\" style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>Goqueres vs Alvarez: 2025\/26 league statistics<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>Statistics (per 90 minutes)<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>Gokeres<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>alvarez<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>Expected number of assists in open play<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>0.08<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>0.16<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>Expected threat occurrence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>0.02<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>0.06<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>shot end carry<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>0.36<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>1.66<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>through ball pass<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>0.04<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>0.28<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>productive dribbling<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>0.04<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>0.43<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>dribbling success<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>0.28<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>1.23<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>progressive action<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>2.02<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>4.54<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>progressive carry<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>1.37<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>1.99<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>progressive path<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>0.65<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>2.56<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<p>Like Gokeres, Alvarez is a ruthless finisher. His predatory instincts are among the best in the world. But overall, he offers much more than Arsenal&#8217;s number 14.<\/p>\n<p>For context, it&#8217;s about the expected threats in the build-up phase of play. Gokeres ranks in the worst 20% of strikers in Europe&#8217;s top five leagues on this metric, while the former Man City player ranks in the top 9% of players similar to his position.<\/p>\n<section class=\"emaki-custom-block emaki-custom-note\" data-nosnippet=\"\">\n<div class=\"emaki-custom note\" id=\"custom_block_34\">\n<div class=\"custom_block-content note\">\n<p><em>Expected threat (xT) is a metric that measures how much a player&#8217;s actions, such as passing or carrying the ball, increase the team&#8217;s chances of scoring on the immediately following play sequence.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>One of the biggest criticisms of the big Swede is his ability to dribble with the ball. In the 2025\/26 season, he had a dismal 0.04 successful dribbles and only 0.28 successful dribbles.<\/p>\n<p>By comparison, Alvarez finished in 0.43 and 1.23, respectively. At 25 years old, he is technically very stable. He can easily bring other players into the play and knows where the back of the net is.<\/p>\n<p>It seems unlikely that Arsenal will let go of Gokeres after just one year in the club, but if they do cross the line and sign the Argentine, it could be time to say goodbye to his place in the team. In the words of Argentine journalist Pablo Gonzalez, he is a &#8220;monster.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"display-card  article article-card small  no-badge  active-content                              \" data-include-community-rating=\"false\" id=\"new-alexis-sanchez-bartishvili-agreed-arsenal-transfer\" data-nosnippet=\"\">\n<p>                        <\/p>\n<p>                    <span data-field=\"label\" class=\"article-card-label\"><label>related<\/label><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-display-card-content regular article-block\">\n<h5 class=\"display-card-title \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"New_Alexis_Sanchez_agrees_to_sign_with_Arsenal\"><\/span>\n<p>\t\t\tNew Alexis Sanchez agrees to sign with Arsenal<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"display-card-excerpt\">Arsenal&#8217;s young reinforcements are really exciting.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last summer, Andrea Berta had one main goal in his first transfer window as Arsenal&#8217;s head of recruitment. It was to sign a new centre-forward. Initially, it looked like Benjamin Sesco was set to move on. That was Mikel Arteta&#8217;s choice, but seeing the financial implications of a deal to bring the Slovenian to England, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49039,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[8286,1014,681,40,86,1250],"class_list":["post-49038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football","tag-130m","tag-arsenals","tag-dream","tag-football","tag-star","tag-target"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49038"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49038\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}