Arsenal are making plans to beat Barcelona to the signature of Atletico Madrid attacking mainstay Julian Alvarez.
According to a report from AS, Arsenal are keen on acquiring the services of Julian Alvarez, and they are ready to knock on the doors of Atletico Madrid. While the Gunners are looking to negotiate with Atletico Madrid, the Spanish giants have no intentions of sanctioning his departure this summer.
They consider the Argentine World Cup winner an integral part of their project and want him in their squad next season. Barcelona have already made a failed attempt to negotiate with Atletico, now the Gunners are ready to open talks. However, the Madrid-based giants will most likely point towards his massive €500 million release clause.
After making a name for himself with his impressive performances at Manchester City, Alvarez made the move to Atletico in the summer of 2024 in search of a prominent role. He has been a very important part of Diego Simeone’s team since the start and was his go-to man in attack in the recently concluded campaign.
The 26-year-old was involved in a total of 49 matches and ended up contributing towards 29 goals. While Atletico were not consistent enough, Alavrez stood out with his performances. His clinical finishing, creativity, and ability to drop deep and drift wide have placed him on the radar of quite a few top clubs.
Not only is he a complete forward, but the Argentine international is also capable enough to feature anywhere in attack. His qualities and versatility are major reasons why Arsenal and Barcelona are keen on his signature.
The Catalan giants consider him a marquee signing to revamp their attack following the departure of Robert Lewandowski. They reportedly knocked on Atletico’s door with an initial offer, but the Madrid-based giants had no intentions of negotiating.
Now, the Gunners intend to open talks with the Spanish club with the help of their sporting director, Andrea Berta, who was a part of the Atletico setup for over a decade. They are looking at him as a massive upgrade on their current options. Not only can he compete with Viktor Gyokeres for a place in the starting XI, but he could also start ahead of exit-linked Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard on the left flank.
While Arsenal are keen on his signature, Atletico’s stance remains unchanged. They won’t negotiate with any club, as Alvarez is in their plans for next season. While suitors believed an offer of around €150 million could do the trick, Atletico won’t let him go unless his release clause is triggered, as the player hasn’t informed them about his desire to leave.
