Arsenal dressing room have clear message from Bernardo Silva as Viktor Gyokeres in limbo

Arsenal for as they continue their search for a striker, with Bernardo Silva one of those to have heaped praise on the former forward.

The Gunners had a steady but uninspiring season, failing to secure any silverware for the fifth year in a row. Since their triumph in the 2019/20 season and subsequent Community Shield victory, have not won a trophy - with , and even bitter rivals claiming major honours during this period.

Manager has been given time to rebuild the club and has now led Arsenal to three consecutive second-place finishes in the - only being outdone by dominant and impressive .

Many attribute lack of league title success to their attacking options, and has faced a lot of criticism for not signing a dedicated number nine to lead the attack. It appears that the Spaniard is looking to change this narrative for the 2025/26 season, as he aims to strengthen the north London team's striking options during the summer transfer window.

Sporting CP's over the past few months, with the formidable striker reportedly available for £60million. Reports from Portugal suggest that the Gunners entered talks with ' agent this week, as representatives travelled to Lisbon to discuss a potential deal.

However, the Swede could face competition from a familiar face to Arteta's ex-mentor , with Atletico Madrid's emerging as another standout candidate for the Gunners' frontline. Arsenal are said to have included Alvarez on their transfer shortlist after his impressive stint with City, bolstered by glowing endorsements from former team-mate Silva.

Silva has already let the Arsenal dressing room know what they could expect from when he praised him following his pivotal role in City's 3-2 Champions League victory over RB Leipzig in 2023, where the Argentine's winning goal confirmed top spot in their group.

Reflecting on Alvarez's influence in the team, Silva said: "If Erling Haaland is not present, we're not going to say that it is not important and we're not going to miss him because of course, we're going to miss him.

"But we have Julian Alvarez to play striker and he's a top, top striker. So, we're not going to say that the team will look bad. Our job is to find solutions and do our best with the players we have in the moment but of course, we miss all of our injured players. In this case, you are talking about Erling and of course, we miss him."

After moving to Madrid in an £81m deal last summer, Silva insisted that Alvarez left a notable gap in City's attack. He shared an inside look into their bond and the Argentinian forward's success post-City in 2024.

Silva added: "I miss him a lot because he is an exceptional team-mate and I am very fond of him. I am very happy that he is doing well. He is a wonderful guy, and he deserves everything.

"Whenever I see Julián score a goal, I'm very happy for him; he's doing very well. Atlético de Madrid is having a very good season. I am very happy for him."

Since his move to Atlético, Alvarez has scored an impressive 29 goals and provided seven assists in 54 appearances. However, he's yet to secure any trophies in Spain due to the dominance of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Arsenal icon Thierry Henry has weighed in on the impact Alvarez could have at the Emirates Stadium, praising the forward's contribution as a game-changer in crucial moments. Speaking on the podcast, Henry said: "If you look at all the teams recently that have been winning big things, more often than not, ok you can look at the front three and look at the team, but look at who is on the bench.

"How many times a guy coming from the bench saved the season. I think it was last season, when Haaland went eight games without scoring. Julian Alvarez, bang, bang, bang. Riyadh Mahrez before, bang, bang, bang. Scoring goals.

"After who scored the most, Haaland, when he wasn't scoring or he wasn't there or he was injured, Julian Alvarez, boom, goal. Riyadh Mahrez, boom, goal."

Henry added: "One of my favourite nines out there at the moment is Julian Alvarez. We've been talking about it, putting pressure, playing it long, whatever you want to do.

"Did you see the free kick he scored the other day? He can hold the ball long. He played at the Olympic games. He played the Copa America. He doesn't say he's tired, hopefully nothing bad happens to him, he's played everything. And the way he plays it, I just like him. Is it possible? I don't know."

Whether Arteta opts for Liga Portugal champion Gyokeres or Treble-winner Alvarez, the addition of a new forward to the squad will undoubtedly thrill the Arsenal faithful as they hope to secure that elusive Premier League title.