“If you start playing him over Gyokeres, he’ll give you 50-goals+ in a season trust me”: Arsenal legend Thierry Henry advises Mikel Arteta to convert ONE Arsenal player to a striker and see big magic upfront

The North London Derby is always an occasion that all Arsenal supporters look forward to, but in years gone by, they’ve often been on the receiving end of Harry Kane’s quality.
In his 21 outings against the Gunners, the Englishman found the back of the net 15 times – a record that is the third-highest of any side he’s faced in his career to date.
He was also on the winning side in eight of the contests, often popping up with the crucial goal in numerous Derby outings and causing pain to the supporters of Arsenal.
However, the hierarchy have constantly been hunting for their own version of the talisman over recent years in an attempt to claim Premier League glory.
However, despite the board backing Mikel Arteta, the Spaniard is still struggling to find someone capable of emulating Kane.
Why Harry Kane was allowed to leave Arsenal
Despite all the success Kane has endured in his professional career, it could have been so different for the player had Arsenal kept hold of him when he was a youngster.
The Englishman was part of the Gunners’ iconic Hale End Academy, but was let go at the age of 12, with his physical condition being one of the main reasons behind his departure.
In an interview a couple of years ago, former Arsenal academy manager Roy Massey claimed he made a mistake in allowing him to depart, but didn’t think he would become a professional at the time of his release.
Speaking to talkSPORT, he stated: “Harry was a lovely young player. He was quiet, shy, didn’t have what we thought it would take to become a professional footballer and so we were totally mistaken.
“Although I’ve got to say that when Harry was released when he was 11 or 12 years of age, he did go to play for his Sunday league club for the next three years, so no other club picked him up in that age group.”
There’s no denying that the club made a huge error in allowing the forward to depart, with their loss unfortunately being the gain of their bitter rivals for many years.
However, the fans may already have their own version of the star currently within their ranks at present – with the talent able to take the club to new heights in the years ahead.
The Arsenal star who’s their answer to Kane
As previously mentioned, Kane is a player who has run Arsenal ragged over recent years, but he’s also tormented countless other backlines, as seen by his Premier League goal tally.
He’s scored 213 goals in England’s top-flight, the second most of any player in the division’s history, with only former Newcastle United star Alan Shearer the only star scoring more to date.
However, a deal for Viktor Gyokeres could see the Gunners have their own version of the talisman, especially if he can replicate such numbers from his recent stint in Portugal.
Despite the move, Arteta’s side already have their own answer to former Spurs star Kane in the form of winger Bukayo Saka – something which may come as a surprise to many.
The glaring difference is their ability to operate in opposing roles, but that hasn’t stopped the 24-year-old from being the club’s greatest source of goals in recent years.
He’s scored 74 times for the Gunners in his 283 outings across all competitions, even ending the 2023/24 campaign as the club’s top scorer in the Premier League.
Saka, who’s been labelled as a “legend in the making” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also mirrors Kane’s ability to be a homegrown star, with both coming through their respective academies in North London.
Like Kane, he’s loved starring in the derby between the two clubs, subsequently scoring five times in his nine outings – the second most of any club he’s faced in his career.
His ability for the Gunners is one thing, but the forward has also thrived on the international stage, with his latest effort against Wales catapulting himself into the record books.
Saka has now scored 13 goals for the Three Lions, the most of any Arsenal player in history, something which is a remarkable feat for such a young and upcoming talent.
At just 24, he has bags of time to build on his impressive start to his professional career with the Gunners and potentially be a key player in any title hunt this campaign.
Whilst Gyokeres could well provide key goals throughout 2025/26, the Englishman could well prove to be the club’s most threatening option over the next couple of months.
If he does continue on such a track, there’s no reason why he can’t be the club’s own version of Kane and continue to break records throughout his career.