Arsenal have already received green light for striker transfer from Prem rival

are reportedly as they continue their search for a striker, with the Argentinian forward receiving endorsements from two Premier League legends. Since their FA Cup triumph in the 2019/20 season and subsequent Community Shield win, Arsenal have not managed to lift another trophy - with Chelsea, Manchester United and bitter rivals Tottenham claiming major honours during this period.

Mikel Arteta has been given time to rebuild the club and has now led Arsenal to three consecutive second-place finishes in the Premier League - only being outperformed by Pep Guardiola's formidable Manchester City side and Arne Slot's impressive Liverpool team.

Many believe that Arsenal's failure to win the league title is due to their attacking options, and Arteta has faced a lot of criticism for not signing a dedicated number nine to spearhead the attack. It appears that the Spaniard is looking to change this narrative for the 2025/26 season, as he plans to strengthen the north London side's striking options during the summer transfer window.

Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting has been linked with the club over the past few months, with the powerful striker reportedly available for £60million. Reports from Portugal suggest that the Gunners have begun talks with Gyokeres' agent this week, with representatives travelling to Lisbon to discuss a potential deal.

However, the Swedish player might be overlooked in favour of a former Premier League star who has already demonstrated his value to Arteta's old mentor, Guardiola. Atletico Madrid's Alvarez is also rumoured to be on Arsenal's striker shortlist, and comes with high praise from his ex-Manchester City team-mate Bernardo Silva.

Silva lauded Alvarez back in 2023 following a 3-2 victory over RB Leipzig in the Champions League, where the Argentine netted the decisive goal that clinched top spot in the group for City. Reflecting on Alvarez's contribution, Silva remarked: "If Erling Haaland is not present, we're not going to say that it is not important and we're not going to miss him because of course, we're going to miss him.

"But we have Julian Alvarez to play striker and he's a top, top striker. So, we're not going to say that the team will look bad. Our job is to find solutions and do our best with the players we have in the moment but of course, we miss all of our injured players. In this case, you are talking about Erling and of course, we miss him."

After Alvarez's £81m switch to Madrid from City last summer, Silva once again spoke about the gap left by the young forward. Speaking about the 2022 World Cup winner, he said: "I miss him a lot because he is an exceptional team-mate and I am very fond of him. I am very happy that he is doing well. He is a wonderful guy, and he deserves everything.

"I'm always thrilled when I see Julian score; he's excelling. Atletico de Madrid is enjoying a splendid season, and I'm delighted for him."

Since his transfer to Atletico, Alvarez has notched up 29 goals and provided seven assists in 54 matches.

Arsenal icon Thierry Henry shared his thoughts on the potential acquisition of Alvarez on the podcast, highlighting his crucial impact in past Premier League campaigns. He remarked: "If you look at all the teams recently that have been winning big things, more often than not, ok you can look at the front three and look at the team, but look at who is on the bench.

"How many times a guy coming from the bench saved the season. I think it was last season, when Haaland went eight games without scoring. Julian Alvarez, bang, bang, bang. Riyadh Mahrez before, bang, bang, bang. Scoring goals.

"After who scored the most, Haaland, when he wasn't scoring or he wasn't there or he was injured, Julian Alvarez, boom, goal. Riyadh Mahrez, boom, goal."

Henry, when discussing his current favourite strikers, added: "One of my favourite nines out there at the moment is Julian Alvarez. We've been talking about it, putting pressure, playing it long, whatever you want to do.

"Did you see the free kick he scored the other day? He can hold the ball long. He played at the Olympic Games. He played the Copa America. He doesn't say he's tired, hopefully nothing bad happens to him, he's played everything. And the way he plays it, I just like him. Is it possible? I don't know."