Arsenal are opening new talks to sign the £112m striker

The striker's arrival last summer was a priority for Andrea Berta during his first window in charge of Arsenal.

Nothing else was important until they put a firecracker in the team but instead of bringing Benjamin Sesko, as the Gunners had planned to move forward before the arrival of Berta, they brought in Viktor Gyokeres instead.

The jury is still out in Sweden after a difficult first campaign in English football. That may sound harsh. Gyokeres scored 21 goals as Arsenal won their first Premier League title in 22 years and reached the Champions League final.

He was the team's leading goalscorer but while he was brilliant in front of goal, his ability to hold the ball up and communicate with his teammates left him wanting for a long time.

So, with the window set to open for another summer transfer window, another new striker could be heading to the Emirates Stadium. Bournemouth's Eli Junior Kroupi is one name on their list but not the only one.

Arsenal could make another big money signing for Kroupi

One of Arsenal's key targets for the upcoming window is Kroupi. The youngster has hit the pitch in style with the Cherries this season and is attracting plenty of attention, perhaps from Champions League winners PSG.

However, Arsenal will be hoping to be at the front of the line for their services with Fabrizio Romano revealing this week that the Gunners, City and Luis Enrique's side have all made calls to Bournemouth as they look to sign Kroupi.

That said, this won't be a cheap deal to make. Marco Rose's side do not want to sell and will not do so for less than £80m.

If the Gunners are going to sign any centre-forwards this summer they may not come cheap. Another name that has been making the rounds is Julian Alvarez.

Arsenal like him and would like to do a deal. Reports throughout the past few months have borne that out. However, now they are making another move to try to force a deal.

This comes from reports on the continent which reveal that PSG, Barcelona and the Gunners are in the race to secure the Argentinian player.

Alvarez's top priority is a move to Barca but it is unlikely they will be able to afford his price tag. £100m has been released but the report suggests it could take as much as £112m.

Berta is said to be 'confident' he can sign off on a move for the player and in the past few days, Arsenal have held talks with Atletico, fielding detailed enquiries.

How does Alvarez compare to Kroupi

It would be a big deal if Arsenal were to sign Kroupi this summer, especially given the events at the end of the season.

Indeed, it was the lad's goal against Manchester City in their penalty shoot-out in the Gunners' Premier League title-clinching campaign.

It's not just emotional and romantic attraction in this transit, however. The 19-year-old is a classy player, so good that he now holds the record for most goals (13) by a young player during their Premier League debut.

He is one of the best young players in the world, heralded as “the next Mbappe” by some but still unproven and untested at the highest level.

Everyone who has watched Kroupi has not one bad thing to say about him. He is versatile – able to play as a forward or just behind – while also being a natural goalscorer. He works very well too. Only four players had a better conversion rate in England's top flight this season.

However, he is not Alvarez. The Argentine has come on leaps and bounds since moving to Atletico from Manchester City and is now one of the best strikers in the entire game.

Hailed as a “future Ballon d'Or winner” by England's Joe Cole, the Atleti star is cut from the same cloth as Kroupi.

Not just an out-and-out number 9 who can play alone at the other end of the pitch, he also shines when he plays a bit behind the striker. He did that at City, playing with Erling Haaland in a partnership that worked well.

In the 26-year-old's final season at the Etihad he scored 19 goals and provided 13 assists. At this point in time, he's definitely better than Kroupi and is more proven.

Since heading to Madrid, Alvarez has been electric, scoring 29 goals in 2024/25 and netting a further 20 for the Spanish giants in 2025/26.

The flamboyant youngster from Bournemouth could reach that level soon and as planning for the future is important, it feels like Arsenal are in the field now.

They have just won the league for the first time in over two decades and are looking to build a dynasty.

Kroupi wouldn't be a bad signing at all. In fact, he would be a wonderful change if the clubs in the race sign him. However, Alvarez is still one of the best players and has proven that he can do it not only in Spain, but also in England.

He is the player who could be the missing piece of the puzzle in Arsenal's bid to finally win the Champions League.