Arsenal have been warned against selling Viktor Gyokeres next year amid significant speculation suggesting that an exit could be on the cards.

The Sweden international joined Mikel Arteta’s side from Sporting CP for €65.8 million last summer and while he netted 21 goals during his debut campaign at the Emirates Stadium, he was heavily linked with an exit ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Gyokeres has fallen behind Kai Havertz in the pecking order in north London, and it’s understood that Arsenal may be amenable to a sale next year, with the club still eager to pursue a blockbuster deal for Atletico Madrid superstar Julian Alvarez.

However, ex-Arsenal striker Jeremie Aliadiere has urged his former club to avoid offloading Gyokeres unless a replacement is identified.

“I think it’s all depending on the finances how much they can get for him and who to replace him with,” Aliadiere told Metro when asked if Arsenal should sell Gyokeres.

“Because I think as much as obviously he’s not in the top 11 now because Havertz is preferred number one, you don’t want to sell him, get a good price and not be able to replace him.

“If Havertz gets injured, which obviously we’ve seen in the past - he’s had a few injuries and he can pick up injuries - you just end up with no striker at all.

“So I think it’s a very difficult January transfer window. Do you try to buy someone before you sell? I think when you look over the summer, selling [Leandro] Trossard and [Gabriel] Martinelli before buying somebody.

“Obviously, they go to [Christos] Tzolis, but I’m not sure Tzolis was bought to be the first choice and when he is injured, you end up doing [Eberechi] Eze on the left-hand side, and that’s not really his best position in my opinion.

“So I don’t want it to happen with Gyokeres, thinking let’s try to sell him and recuperate a good transfer fee for him and then not replacing him.”

Who will Arsenal sign to replace Viktor Gyokeres?

While Aliadiere has warned Arsenal against selling Gyokeres, it’s understood that a host of potential replacements have already been identified.

The aforementioned Alvarez is Arsenal’s preferred candidate for the role, but they are also closely tracking the development of both Nicolo Tresoldi (Club Brugge) and Gustavo Varela (Monza).

Tresoldi has scored 14 goals in 16 games so far this season, including a hat-trick versus Inter Milan in the Champions League, while Varela has found the back of the net on 11 occasions in just 10 matches since his summer move to Monza.