Arsenal Pursue Julián Álvarez Amid Barcelona Interest

Arsenal are racing the clock to convince Julián Álvarez to swap Atlético Madrid for north London, with more than £70m already banked from outgoing deals and the attacking reshuffle gathering pace.

The problem? Álvarez only has eyes for Barcelona.

The Argentina forward returned to Atlético training on Sunday after being left out of the squad for the win over Sevilla, a decision that only fuelled speculation over his future. Mikel Arteta spoke to Álvarez last week, pushing hard to lure the former Manchester City striker back to the Premier League. The response was blunt: his priority is Barcelona, and Barcelona only.

That stance leaves Arsenal in an awkward position after committing to break up a forward line that has defined much of Arteta’s tenure. Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Fábio Vieira are all on their way out in moves worth in excess of £70m, reshaping both the wage bill and the dressing room in one hit.

Barcelona have already struck an £8.6m agreement to sign Jesus, who is in the final year of his contract at Arsenal and has slipped behind Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyökeres in the pecking order.

Jesus’s departure opens up space in Arteta’s central options, but it also strengthens Barça’s hand in the market.

The Spanish champions have sold Ferran Torres to Paris Saint‑Germain and want another attacker. They have not abandoned the idea of prising Álvarez away from Atlético, even with the Madrid club insisting they will not sell to a direct La Liga rival.

Atlético, for their part, are trying to have it both ways. They have agreed a deal with Juventus for Jonathan David on an initial loan, with an option to buy the Canada forward next summer. Yet the message from the Metropolitano remains firm: they are determined to keep Álvarez, who arrived from Manchester City in 2024 and is seen as central to their plans.

Arsenal are still clinging to the hope that the 26‑year‑old could be persuaded to change his mind if Barcelona cannot strike a deal. At the same time, they are working through alternative targets. Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye has been on their shortlist, but Tottenham are in advanced talks over a £60m move for the Senegal international, pushing Arsenal towards other solutions.

They have already lost out on Morgan Rogers to Chelsea and saw an ambitious move for Vinícius Júnior collapse when the Brazil star signed a contract extension at Real Madrid. Each failed chase ramps up the pressure to land a marquee forward before the window shuts.

Attacking Overhaul

On the flanks, the overhaul is already under way. Christos Tzolis has arrived to replace Leandro Trossard on the left, yet Martinelli’s imminent exit to Al‑Hilal for a club‑record £56m fee will rip out another piece of Arsenal’s attacking core. That sale, which eclipses the £40m Liverpool paid for Alex Oxlade‑Chamberlain in 2017, creates both a financial cushion and a tactical question.

Eberechi Eze can operate from the left and offers Arteta a different profile in that role, but Martinelli’s raw pace and direct threat will not be easy to replicate. The Brazilian, who struck six times in the Champions League last season but only once in the Premier League, is due for a medical on Monday after being left out of the squad for the opening‑weekend win over Coventry.

Fábio Vieira is set to depart as well, with an £8.6m permanent move to Hamburg close after his loan spell there last season. Another creative option gone, another space to fill.

Arsenal have cleared the decks. The money is there. The system is evolving. Now the question is whether they can land the forward to tie it all together, or whether Álvarez’s Barcelona dream forces Arteta to rip up his attacking plan yet again.