The World Cup may be dominating Zohran Mamdani’s summer, but the New York City mayor already has one eye on Arsenal’s transfer business.
A lifelong Gunners fan, Mamdani celebrated Arsenal finally lifting the Premier League title this season — their first since the unbeaten Invincibles of 2003-04. The joy was tempered by a Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties.
Asked who Mikel Arteta should sign to push the team one step further, Mamdani’s answer ran from the fanciful to the realistic. Kylian Mbappe, he admitted, is probably a dream too far — but he also floated two more attainable additions to bolster the attack.
Bournemouth teenager Eli Junior Kroupi tops the list
Speaking to The Athletic, Mamdani was clear about where Arsenal need to strengthen. He said: “I would take a similar approach on the wings and up top. I’d probably focus our signings in those areas.”
When the talk turned to specific names, the mayor briefly drew a blank before settling on Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi, a forward he described as “quite exciting.”
It is easy to see why. The 19-year-old scored 13 Premier League goals in his debut season — the most ever by a teenager in a first top-flight campaign in England, edging the 12 managed by Robbie Fowler and Robbie Keane. Remarkably, he did it while starting just 21 games, posting one of the division’s deadliest conversion rates.
Arsenal fans even owe him a small thank-you. Kroupi’s goal against Manchester City on the penultimate matchday helped hand the Gunners the title, while also sealing Bournemouth’s first-ever European qualification.
Julian Alvarez would be the statement signing
The mayor’s second pick is Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez. He said: “Julian Alvarez is an incredible player, too, but that is Declan Rice scale of money.”
The 26-year-old has the pedigree to justify the praise. A World Cup winner with Argentina and a former Manchester City man, Alvarez scored 20 goals in all competitions this season, finishing as Atletico’s joint-top scorer as Diego Simeone’s side reached the Champions League semi-finals.
The catch is exactly the one Mamdani identified. Arsenal paid West Ham United more than £100m for Rice in 2023, and prising Alvarez out of Madrid would likely demand something exceeding even that.
Then there is the fantasy. Mbappe just claimed the La Liga golden boot with 25 goals for Real Madrid, and the mayor knows a switch to north London is the longest of long shots.
Any of the three would be a serious upgrade, and Arsenal supporters would gladly welcome either Kroupi or Alvarez — never mind Mbappe — through the door at the Emirates.
For now, though, the tournament comes first. With the World Cup being staged across North America this summer, Mamdani’s immediate attention is on the action, and he has already named Bukayo Saka as his World Cup player to watch.
