Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is playing his “last card” to land Julian Alvarez.
Despite winning the Community Shield at the weekend, the Gunners are still hoping to land another forward to help them defend the Premier League title, with new signing Christos Tzolis so far the first choice on the left wing.
With the likes of Vinicius Jr and Morgan Rogers linked with Arsenal this summer, time is running out to land a significant signing – and now, Mikel Arteta has stepped in to help bring Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez back to English football.
Arsenal are desperate for Julian Alvarez, with Mikel Arteta personally involved in the deal
Alvarez had been heavily linked with Arsenal earlier on in the transfer window, with Arteta keen to land another top-level attacker to compete with his existing options.
While the Argentine can play on the left, Viktor Gyokeres has failed to convince some at the Emirates Stadium and has even been discussed as a makeweight in any move.
FourFourTwo understands that Alvarez's priority all along has been Barcelona, but with the Spanish champions reluctant to pay a nine-figure fee – and Atletico preferring to sell Alvarez back to the Premier League, where he won a Treble with Manchester City – any move to Arsenal has been slow to develop.
According to Spanish outlet El Desmarque, Arteta has played his “last card” and rang the 26-year-old personally to lay out his vision – with Alvarez reportedly reiterating that he would rather a switch to Camp Nou.
Los Colchoneros' CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin has apparently turned down a €150 million bid from city rivals Real Madrid, as Arsenal look at more realistic targets such as Victor Osimhen or Kenan Yildiz in the remaining weeks of the window.
Turkish outlet Gazete Pencere have relayed that the Nigerian answered, “We'll see”, when asked about a move away from Turkiye, though he is also of interest to the Saudi Pro League – while James McNicholas reports for The Athletic that Arsenal are waiting to see if Yildiz becomes available.
Gyokeres has been linked with Barcelona and Atletico, as the Gunners could cash in after just a year of the Swede.
With the Gunners looking to move Brazilian duo Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli on this summer, while hoping to make a pure profit sale of Ethan Nwaneri, there is certainly scope for a big signing – though there aren't many elite-level left wingers that Arsenal are left linked with.
It remains a possibility that Martinelli stays – though with Arteta not naming the forward on the bench for Sunday's Community Shield, it is fair to say that he is clearly not in the Basque boss's immediate plans.
Alvarez is worth €120m, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal face Coventry City in the Premier League season opener.
