Thierry Henry weighs in on which striker Arsenal should sign this summer

Arsenal icon Thierry Henry has weighed in on the club’s search for a new striker, believing they should target a move for Atlético Madrid's Julián Álvarez.

It's no secret that the Gunners are hoping to sign a new goalscorer this summer off the back of a frustrating 2024/25 season which failed to return silverware. Raheem Sterling was the sole attacking addition made over the previous two windows, and the loanee recorded just a single goal amid a pointless spell in north London.

Arsenal must be aggressive to best prepare themselves for a crucial 2025/25 campaign, and they've been linked with a host of sharpshooters. Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko are seemingly at the top of the club's thinking, but Alexander Isak, Ollie Watkins and Hugo Ekitike are other names that have been thrown into transfer rumour mills.

However, Henry, who knows a thing or two about goalscoring, prefers an alternate option for the Gunners this summer.

Thierry Henry says Arsenal should target Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Henry, now a prominent pundit, was asked about Arsenal's striker situation. While he didn't explicitly say who the club should sign, he made it clear who he'd be targeting if he was in a position of power in north London.

"The most complete striker I've seen recently is Julián Álvarez," the Gunners icon said. "Putting pressure, playing alone, whatever you want to do. You see the free-kick he scored the other day?

"He can hold the ball alone. He played at the Olympic Games, he played at the Copa America. I don't hear him saying 'I'm tired', he played everything. And the way he plays. I just like him," Henry added.

Álvarez is not the big-bodied number nine Mikel Arteta craves, but there's no denying his status as a top-class forward. The Argentine proved his worth at Manchester City despite the presence of Erling Haaland and enjoyed a productive debut season in the Spanish capital. The World Cup winner scored 29 goals for Atléti in 2024/25, somewhat justifying his £82m fee.

There have been tenuous links to Álvarez, but Atléti president Enrique Cerezo confirmed (via The Daily Mirror) the club's intention to retain the striker this summer: "Julian Alvarez is a player of Atlético de Madrid. He's very happy here, he is our player and he will remain our player. He was raised at Atlético Madrid and he will die at Atlético Madrid."

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