**Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez has made it clear to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta that his “priority” is to join Barcelona, according to reports in Spain.**
[_ElDesmarques_](https://www.eldesmarque.com/futbol/mercado-de-fichajes/20260817/mikel-arteta-llamada-julian-alvarez-fichaje-arsenal-respuesta-barcelona-atletico-madrid_18_019967839.html) claim that Arteta has already phoned the Argentinian international once this summer.
Howevever, the Gunners boss is said to have “called him again” in recent days to try and “convince” the player to make the make the move to the Emirates.
Despite Arteta’s efforts, it seems Alvarez has not been swayed, and he remains determined to make the switch to Barca.
Atletico would prefer to sell Alvarez abroad
--------------------------------------------
Alvarez’s current team are believed to have been agitated by the way that Barcelona have gone about unsettling their player, and reports suggest that Diego Simeone’s side are refusing to sanction his transfer to the Camp Nou under any circumstances.
If that stance does not change, Alvarez will only have two choices – stay at Atletico or choose a different destination, with Arsenal waiting in the wings if he does become available.
Why do Arsenal want the forward?
--------------------------------
Alvarez was on Arteta’s list of transfer targets even before he left Manchester City for Atletico in 2024. It is believed that another attempt was made to sign him last year before they secured the services of Viktor Gyokeres.
The Gunners are still keen on reinforcing their frontline now, and they are said to be pretty flexible on pursuing a left winger or a centre forward.
In addition to Alvarez, it is believed Juventus’s Kenan Yildiz is [**high on their shortlist**](https://goonernews.com/blog/arsenal-transfer-news-5-vinicius-jr-alternatives/), but the Turkish international looks equally unattainable. He signed a new contract to stay with Juve earlier this year and the Bianconeri have given no indication that they are looking to sell him.
It remains to be seen if Arteta and sporting director Mikel Arteta will seek out alternatives before the transfer window closes on September 1st.