Arteta Signals Arsenal Need Fresh Striker; Brentford's Thiago in Sights

Arsenal's search for attacking reinforcements is gathering pace, with manager Mikel Arteta reportedly pushing the club to pursue Brentford striker Igor Thiago as a potential replacement for Viktor Gyokeres.

The Swedish forward found himself warming the bench during Saturday's Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, a shock selection given his impressive showings in the semi-final run against Atletico Madrid. Kai Havertz claimed the central striking role instead, with Arsenal ultimately falling to a 4-3 penalty shootout loss. Gyokeres has since dropped out of the starting lineup entirely across the Gunners' last three outings, with Havertz and Gabriel Jesus preferred.

With Jesus seemingly destined for the exit door this summer, punditry heavyweights including Martin Keown have identified the centre-forward berth as a priority area for improvement alongside the left-wing position.

An influential X account boasting over 700,000 followers and composed of five high-profile reporters claims Arteta has made his position crystal clear to the boardroom: Arsenal requires a new number nine to take the side forward. The account stated that Thiago is "rated highly" by the technical team, with the Brentford man emerging as a prime target. Gyokeres, who turns 28 on Saturday, is viewed as having limited resale value, leading the hierarchy to question whether last summer's gamble has genuinely paid dividends.

"Exclusive. Igor Thiago rated highly. New number nine," the account wrote. "Mikel Arteta is making it clear: Arsenal needs a new number 9 to elevate the team. The pressure is on, especially with Viktor Gyökeres, who turns 28 on Saturday and has no resale value. The club's owners thought they had a gem last summer, but that gamble hasn't paid off. Now the focus shifts to Igor Thiago at Brentford, a player the technical team rates highly. Arteta knows that bringing in the right striker is crucial for our ambitions. It's time to invest wisely and take Arsenal to the next level."

Gyokeres has delivered contributions throughout the campaign, though expectations were considerably higher for a player intended to lead a title-chasing outfit.

Giroud: Arteta Showing Gyokeres the Same Patience Wenger Showed Me

Former Arsenal frontman Olivier Giroud has drawn parallels between Arteta's handling of Gyokeres and Arsene Wenger's treatment of himself during his Emirates tenure.

Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast ahead of the PSG final, Giroud reflected: "Gyokeres for me is a great striker. When I first arrived at Arsenal, Arsene gave me time to adapt, his confidence, it was not easy because Robin van Persie had just left. I needed time and confidence. I think Arteta is doing the same with Gyokeres. I think he can fit well for Arsenal's game.

"I don't know if he will play in the final against PSG. PSG is the strongest team in Europe, they can defend, offensively they are very talented, but the thing is for the final against Bayern they defended really well too."