Premier League giants Arsenal are reportedly pushing to sign Argentina's FIFA World Cup star Julian Alvarez in the summer transfer window. According to The Independent, the 26-year-old has been a top attacking target for the Gunners for a long time.
Prior to the quarter-final against Switzerland, Alvarez had failed to get on the scoresheet in five appearances (two starts) at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With the scoreline tied at 1-1 in the 112th minute of the game against the Nati, he finally produced a moment of magic. He netted a stunning long-distance curler that broke the deadlock, and Argentina eventually won 3-1 on the night.
There have been reports about a potential transfer for Alvarez away from his current club, Atletico Madrid. Due to his apparent preference to stay in Spain, potential rumoured destinations were Barcelona and Real Madrid.
However, Atletico have made it clear that they do not have any intention to sell to their direct rivals with a plethora of controversial yet hilarious social media posts. According to the Independent, Arsenal now believe that they could get a deal for Alvarez across the line and are pushing to sign the marksman.
The Gunners' sporting director Andrea Berta has good relations with the Rojiblancos. He served as the Spanish club's technical director between 2013 and 2025, one of the most successful periods in their history.
Atletico are supposedly demanding a fee in excess of £100 million, while the North Londoners willing to pay around £90 million for Alvarez. With Barcelona still pushing to sign the Argentina international, it will be interesting to see where he ends up after the FIFA World Cup.
"We'll set the pace" - Barcelona president Joan Laporta makes claim about the signing of Argentina's FIFA World Cup star Julian Alvarez
The president of Spanish giants Barcelona, Joan Laporta, has asserted that his side will 'set the pace' in terms of a move for Argentina's FIFA World Cup hero Julian Alvarez.
Speaking to media in Dallas ahead of the FIFA World Cup semi-final between Spain and France, Laporta said (via Barca Universal):
"Regarding the signing of Julian, obviously we're not going to be dancing to anyone's tune; we'll set the pace. We've made an offer that isn't unlimited, and we'll announce when the time comes how long the offer remains valid."
Barcelona have already completed two major attacking signings in this transfer window - German forward Karim Adeyemi and English winger Anthony Gordon. The former signed on from Borussia Dortmund for a reported €22 million fee plus €7 million in add-ons, while the latter joined from Newcastle United for a whopping €70 million fee plus €10 million in add-ons.
It remains to be seen if they can also land Alvarez, who will next be seen in action for Argentina against England in the semi-final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.