Thierry Henry would love to see Arsenal sign Atletico's Julian Alvarez

The Gunners finished the 2024/25 campaign without a trophy, ending as Premier League runners-up for the second year in a row.

Hopes of European glory were also dashed after they were eliminated at the semi-final stage of the Champions League.

A key factor behind their failure to secure silverware was a lack of attacking firepower. Injuries to both Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus left Arsenal without a recognised first-team striker for much of the season.

Despite the glaring issue, manager Mikel Arteta opted against reinforcing the forward line in January.

Instead, Arteta deployed midfielder Mikel Merino as a makeshift striker, while Leandro Trossard was also pushed into a central attacking role more frequently.

The decision not to invest in a new forward drew criticism from both fans and pundits, who felt the squad lacked the cutting edge required to challenge on multiple fronts.

Henry, who remains Arsenal's all-time leading scorer, has added his voice to the calls for a new striker, insisting that bolstering the attack is essential if the club are to take the final step in their pursuit of major honours.

"He had time to get a nine, he had time. I'm not the coach, I don't know the discussion. Everyone has been screaming or a nine, apart from when we win by the way! Because when we beat Real Madrid, we don't need a nine," Henry said on The Overlap's Stick to Football with Sky Bet.

"You do need a nine. I don't understand the change⦠people change the way they talk. We need a nine when we're not scoring and then suddenly we go on a run and nobody mentions that we need a nine. But you need a nine, for me, and a nine. We're talking about a nine.

"One of my favourite nines out there at the minute is Julian Alvarez.

"We've been talking about it: putting pressure on, playing it long, low, whatever you want to do. He played at the Olympic Games, he played the Copa America and I don't hear him saying he's tired. The way he plays it, I just like him. But it is possible [that Arsenal can sign him]? I don't know." 

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