Arsenal have been interested in signing a left winger for much of the summer. Morgan Rogers was close to joining them from Aston Villa but Chelsea hijacked the Gunners’ transfer, therefore forcing the club to consider alternatives.
Julian Alvarez has been closely linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium in recent weeks, especially after confirming his desire to depart Atletico Madrid during the World Cup, and the Londoners have been handed a major boost in the Argentine’s pursuit.
Graeme Bailey has reported that despite publicly insisting Alvarez will stay put at the club, Atletico are now prepared to sell him to an overseas side with Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain thought to be in the mix for his services.
Barcelona have already declared their interest in the forward but Atletico are doing all they can to avoid selling their talisman to a domestic rival, especially having accused the Blaugrana of illegally approaching Alvarez before holding club-to-club talks.
Alvarez move to Arsenal a strong possibility
While Julian Alvarez will likely push to join Barcelona for as long as he possibly can, Atletico Madrid have the upper hand over his future given the validity of his contract with them until 2030. As a result, they may only accept offers from non-Spanish sides.
Arsenal will feel they have a strong chance at trumping Paris Saint-Germain to Alvarez’s purchase because they can offer him regular minutes, which Luis Enrique may not guarantee with Desire Doue, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele his preferred attackers.
Bradley Barcola is looking to depart Parc des Princes precisely due to no guarantees over his role in a already high-quality attack, while as far as Alvarez is concerned, he may welcome another stint in England having largely been second fiddle while at Manchester City.
Though a striker naturally, Alvarez is capable of playing on the left wing. He has strong shooting, intelligent positioning and does well to deliver or score off set-pieces, which help him return consistent numbers in the final third.
Alvarez is valued at £103 million on Transfermarkt but it remains to be seen how much a deal can really be done for.
