Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta is utilizing his “final trump card” to secure the signing of Julian Alvarez.
Although they secured the Community Shield over the weekend, the North London outfit remain eager to recruit an additional attacker to bolster their Premier League title defense, especially with recently acquired Christos Tzolis currently serving as the primary option on the left flank.
With players such as Vinicius Jr and Morgan Rogers being associated with Arsenal during this transfer window, the clock is ticking to finalize a marquee acquisition—prompting Mikel Arteta to personally intervene in an effort to lure Atletico Madrid attacker Julian Alvarez back to the Premier League.
Arsenal are highly determined to sign Julian Alvarez, with Mikel Arteta taking a direct role in negotiations
Earlier in the summer, Alvarez was strongly rumored to be joining Arsenal, as Arteta sought to integrate another world-class forward to challenge his current squad members.
Though the Argentina international is capable of operating on the left wing, Viktor Gyokeres has not entirely won over certain figures at the Emirates and has consequently been floated as a potential counterweight in a player-plus-cash deal.
According to sources at FourFourTwo, Alvarez has consistently favored a move to Barcelona. However, with the Catalan giants hesitant to meet a €100m-plus valuation, and Atletico favoring a transfer back to England—where the forward previously secured a Treble with Manchester City—talks regarding a switch to Arsenal have progressed gradually.
Reports from Spanish publication El Desmarque suggest that Arteta has made his final gamble by directly phoning the 26-year-old to pitch his project, though the player allegedly repeated his preference for a transfer to Camp Nou.
Atletico’s chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin has reportedly rejected a whopping €150 million offer from local rivals Real Madrid, prompting Arsenal to evaluate more attainable alternatives like Victor Osimhen or Kenan Yildiz as the transfer window draws to a close.
Turkish media outlet Gazete Pencere revealed that the Nigerian striker responded with “We’ll see” when questioned about departing Turkey, amid interest from the Saudi Pro League. Meanwhile, James McNicholas of The Athletic reports that Arsenal are closely monitoring Yildiz’s situation to see if he becomes available.
Gyokeres is being linked with both Barcelona and Atletico, raising the possibility that the Gunners might sell the Swedish forward just twelve months after his arrival.
As the London club aims to offload Brazilian attackers Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli during this window, alongside generating a high-profit margin from selling young talent Ethan Nwaneri, there is definitely financial room for a major addition—even if the market lacks world-class left-sided forwards connected with Arsenal.
While Martinelli could potentially stay, the fact that Arteta left the winger out of the matchday squad for Sunday’s Community Shield suggests he does not currently feature in the Spanish manager’s short-term arrangements.
According to Transfermarkt data, Alvarez is valued at €120m. Arsenal are set to begin their Premier League campaign against Coventry City.
