Arsenal stance on selling Viktor Gyokeres in January revealed amid renewed Julian Alvarez pursuit

Arsenal have no intention of sanctioning a January exit for Viktor Gyokeres unless they are certain they have a top-class replacement lined up.

The Gunners continue to value the Sweden international highly despite their ongoing interest in Julian Alvarez.

Mikel Arteta's priority is maintaining the depth needed to compete for trophies on every front.

Arsenal would only consider allowing Gyokeres to leave if an immediate, elite replacement was already secured, according to TEAMtalk.

The Gunners remain interested in Alvarez, who has been identified as one of the few forwards capable of fitting the tactical demands Arteta places on his No.9.

However, Alvarez's preference for Barcelona makes a January move extremely difficult, while Arsenal have little interest in weakening their squad without a suitable alternative.

Arteta continues to regard Kai Havertz as an indispensable part of his attacking structure, particularly because of his ability to drop between the lines, occupy defenders and rotate across the frontline.

That means Arsenal cannot simply replace Gyokeres with another conventional striker. Any new arrival would need to complement Havertz, as well as contribute significant goals.

However, Arsenal should be very wary of selling Gyokeres if they land an elite alternative in January.

The Gunners need multiple options to compete for the Premier League, Champions League and domestic cups, and taking one of their senior forwards out of the squad would leave them vulnerable.

Havertz's injury record is another reason to retain the 28-year-old. Even if the German remains Arteta's preferred option for certain matches, Arsenal could quickly need the Sweden international if Havertz suffers another setback.

A younger striker could potentially arrive and learn Arteta's demands, but selling Gyokeres first would be an unnecessary gamble.

Unless Arsenal can land a genuine world-class replacement, keeping Gyokeres until at least the summer looks by far the more sensible option.

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