Arsenal have been heavily linked with Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez with the Spanish club identifying a replacement should the Argentine leave Spain
Julian Alvarez has been linked with a move to Arsenal
Julian Alvarez has been linked with a move to Arsenal(Image: Getty Images)
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Atletico Madrid have identified Victor Osimhen as the man they want should Julian Alvarez leave this summer.
The Argentine has been a huge hit in the Spanish capital since signing from Manchester City. He remains the leading light in Diego Simeone's side and his performances have attracted interest from some of Europe's heavyweights, Arsenal and Barcelona among them.
Atletico are serially in the Champions League and have not been forced into selling their top players for years, but Alvarez could push for a move elsewhere if he does have his head turned.
AS reports that the Madrid side are planning for the possibility of him leaving and will turn their attention to Galatasaray's Osimhen. Atletico paid £81.5 million to sign Alvarez, but would be able to demand more than that if they did cash in on the 26-year-old, who has scored 49 times for the club.
Galatasaray would want £64m before they considered selling Osimhen, who has been a huge hit in Turkey since leaving Napoli two years ago.
Its been reported that Alvarez has turned down the offer of an improved deal from Atletico and Simeone will not convince him to stay against his will - wanting players that are committed to the cause. “It’s not a question for me, it’s a question for Julian," he said recently. "He’s old enough to know what he’s going to do, and I’m sure he’ll have his decision made.”
Barcelona are thought to be Alvarez's preferred destination despite Arsenal also being keen. The Catalans have decided to let Robert Lewandowski depart the club, which will leave a void in their attack that needs filling.
Victor Osimhen has been prolific since moving to Turkey
Victor Osimhen has been prolific since moving to Turkey(Image: (Photo by Orhan Cicek/Anadolu via Getty Images))
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Arsenal would be able to match Barcelona financially and it may come down to where Alvarez wants to end up. South American players have long had a desire to end up at one of Spain's two giants.
The Gunners spent more than £60m to bring in Viktor Gyokeres 12 months ago but, despite breaking the 20-goal barrier in his debut season, there have been doubts over whether the Swede is their man long-term. He was overlooked for crunch games, including the Champions League final.
Mikel Arteta's side have been accused of lacking quality in the final third, especially in comparison with other elite sides in Europe, and this summer could see them look to address that.
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