Report: Arsenal forward set to stay until replacement is signed

Arsenal’s striker planning is tightening around Viktor Gyökeres, with TeamTalk reporting the club will not allow him to leave unless Mikel Arteta has an “elite” replacement ready. The report links that stance to how Arsenal build attacks around Kai Havertz, described internally as “indispensable” to the team’s attacking structure. Havertz is credited with connecting play, dropping between the lines, occupying center-backs and contributing during rotations. If Gyökeres exits, the incoming forward must improve the squad and fit Arteta’s framework rather than merely provide a like-for-like option. Julian Alvarez is identified as the closest stylistic match, but he reportedly only considers leaving for a move to Barcelona’s Camp Nou. Ivan Toney is viewed as a like-for-like replacement, not an upgrade on Havertz, and is seen as lacking the positional versatility Arteta needs.