Mikel Arteta
Arsenal are interested in signing Atletico Madrid star Marc Pubill alongside Julian Alvarez this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Gunners are looking to strengthen their squad after winning the Premier League and reaching the Champions League final, and manager Mikel Arteta has already added Illan Meslier, Christos Tzolis, and Bruno Guimaraes to his options for the new season.
But the club are still looking to do more business before the transfer window slams shut on September 1st, and it's understood that a forward and a defender are top of their wishlist.
Arsenal have been looking at a deal for Atletico Madrid forward Alvarez for much of the summer, after it emerged that he wanted to leave the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. However, a deal is yet to progress with the La Liga side not looking to sell, and with the player's preferred destination being Barcelona.
That has seen them begin to look at other forward options, including Galatasaray star Victor Osimhen, but no deal is close.
In defence, the club are dealing with the fact that star centre-back William Saliba is likely to miss the rest of 2026 due to a back injury, and that has led to Arteta looking at options to come into the squad to replace him.
It's believed that the top target is Aston Villa star Ezri Konsa, with talks held, but currently the Midlands club's £60m valuation is proving to be a stumbling block. Bayer Leverkusen and England star Jarrel Quansah has also emerged as a target recently, with talks held with the Bundesliga side.
But according to Romano, writing for Caught Offside, the Gunners have also been keen on a deal to sign Atletico Madrid star Marc Pubill, although the Spanish outfit have made it clear that they have no intention of doing any deal.
Pubill, who has been described as 'special', has been a regular for Atletico since joining from Almeria last season, making 36 appearances in his debut campaign, and Diego Simeone is known to be a big fan.
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Fees correct prior to summer 2026
Simeone Predicts Big Future for Pubill
Marc Pubill
After signing for Atletico Madrid as a right-back, Simeone got a deal done to take him to the Wanda Metropolitano and envisioned him becoming a centre-back in the future.
Since then, he has become an increasingly important part of the squad under the Argentine manager, who has regularly sung his praises in public.
"He continues to progress steadily; he'll soon be called up to the national team. He can play as a full-back, center-back, or third center-back, and he needs to remain humble in the face of praise from newspapers and other media outlets to maintain the work he's done with such patience.
"He's remained patient, continued working in that position where we've spent countless mornings trying to improve, because he knew we'd need him there. I hope he doesn't buy the newspapers or listen to the radio.
“We worked on what I thought he could contribute from the right center-back position. Josema’s injury allowed him to train there in the summer. He hadn’t had opportunities because Le Normand was there, but he waited with humility and dedication, knowing that his qualities are important, and football rewards.