Ray Parlour wants Arsenal to sign 'fantastic' £87m star but fears Gunners ace will leave

Parlour would like to see Arsenal boast four strikers in the squad (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal legend Ray Parlour has urged the club to sign Julian Alvarez this summer, believing Mikel Arteta will benefit from having as many as four strikers at his disposal going forward.

The Gunners believed they had ended their long search for a prolific no9 when they signed Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP for £64million last July. The Sweden international has struggled with the demands of English football but turned in perhaps his best performance for the club in last Sunday’s derby win over Tottenham.

Gyokeres scored twice to take his haul for the season to a respectable 15 in all competitions. The goals have been spread around the Arsenal squad this term but Gabriel Martinelli is the only other player to hit double figures so far with just one of those coming in the Premier League .

Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz have returned from injury to offer Arteta more firepower for the season-run in with Manchester City and Erling Haaland hot on their heels. But none of Arsenal’s options have shown anything close to the unerring consistency offered by the Norwegian at the Eithad.

Arteta already has one of the best squads in Europe at his disposal but whatever happens in the title race, Parlour believes the club must act in the summer transfer window.

Arsenal are among the clubs weighing up a move for Argentina international Alvarez , who left City to join Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2024. That deal was overseen by Andrea Berta, now sporting director at the Emirates. Any move would require an offer in excess of €100million (£87m) to even tempt Atletico into doing business.

Parlour won three league titles and four FA Cups as a Gunner, playing in squads blessed with blistering attacking talent.

Arsenal considering a move for Alvarez (Picture: Getty)

The double campaign of 1997-98 was spearheaded by Ian Wright, Dennis Bergkamp, Christopher Wreh and a prodigious young Nicolas Anelka with the Invincibles side including the quartet of Thierry Henry, Silvan Wiltford and Nwankwo Kanu with Bergkamp still firmly on the scene for that triumph.

Also fearing Jesus may leave the club at the end of the season, Parlour believes there is plenty of room for another star forward in the ranks, regarding Alvarez as a ‘fantastic’ addition.

‘I think Jesus might leave at the end of the season, he is at that age where he wants to be playing week in, week out,’ Parlour told Metro via BetMGM .

Jesus’ contract with Arsenal expires in the summer of 2027 (Picture: Getty)

‘We could lose him. We had four strikers when I played. That’s what I don’t understand. (Regardless of Jesus leaving), bring in another one anyway. That can give the other options a lift because they see the standard being set.

‘For me, Alvarez would be a great addition to the squad. There will always be people coming and going in the summer because it’s a big squad and they can’t keep everyone happy. But Alvarez would be a fantastic option to have with his pace and what we saw at Man City.

‘It was always going to be difficult for him playing with Erling Haaland there but when he did start and when he did play, he was always lively.

Gyokeres proved his worth again in the derby on Sunday (Picture: Getty)

‘He’s a young man too, so if he’s available it’s a yes for me. When know how Arteta likes to work with young players to make them better so I think it would be a great addition, definitely.’

The arrival of Alvarez would inevitably raise questions over Gyokeres’ role in the team a year on from his arrival in north London. But Parlour believes the improvement shown by the Swede will play a pivotal role in the title race and bolster Arteta’s trust in him.