Arsenal are expected to splash the cash to bolster Mikel Arteta’s squad this summer
Mikel Arteta finally delivered the Premier League title Arsenal fans had craved as the Gunners were crowned champions for the first time since the 2004 Invincibles.
And but for the vagaries of a penalty shootout, he might just have easily doubled up with the European Cup, only to see it snatched from his grasp by Paris Saint-Germain following a 1-1 draw in Budapest.
That Champions League final showdown, where Luis Enrique’s side became the first to successfully defend the trophy since Real Madrid won three in a row from 2016 to 2018, showcased what is required to be kings of Europe as well as England.
PSG’s free-flowing attacking football in this final may not have been quite as breathtaking as 12 months earlier yet still it was an object lesson in the standard required to triumph in the world’s greatest club competition.
Julian Alvarez has been mentioned a lot in recent weeks as the final piece of the jigsaw that Arteta needs to raise his squad to a point where they could take on all-comers.
FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is 16th on the all-time list of Premier League scorers with 127 goals in the competition for Leeds, Chelsea, Middlesbrough and Charlton.
Now, he reckons, Alvarez could bang in a load of goals if he makes a return to England from Spain to join Arsenal, who are desperately seeking a No.9 with a high goal return.
“He’s totally different from someone like Viktor Gyokeres,” Hasselbaink told 10bet. “I like him; I really like him.
“He is somebody who scores goals. In a more attacking team than the one he is playing for now, he would score a lot more goals.
“He has done exceptionally well at Atletico Madrid, who are quite defensive and don’t attack as much. His combination play is really good.”
Alvarez signed for Manchester City four years ago at the same time as Erling Haaland and had to play second fiddle to the Norwegian but still managed 20 Premier League goals in two seasons before going to Atletico Madrid.
He is now firmly in Arsenal’s sights and Hasselbaink reckons they should make a change to how they play just to accommodate him.
“Would he be a good player for Arsenal? Yes, but I think Arsenal would have to change a little bit how they play to get the best out of him.
“If they’re going to expect him to do a lot of defending and all that kind of stuff, then he’s going to have the same kind of season as he did at Atletico. I think if you tweak the system a little bit, he can score 30-odd goals.”
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was talking to 10bet. Find out more at 10bet.co.uk/sports
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with the Sky Glass ‘designed for football’
from £4.50
Sky
Get the deal here
Sky is knocking 20% off its entire range of Glass TVs to mark the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to the Sky smart TV that’s ‘designed for football’ from £4.50 per month when taken alongside a Sky TV and Netflix package.
