Arsenal have been handed a significant new opening in their long-running pursuit of Julian Alvarez after Barcelona parked their attempts to sign the Atletico Madrid forward.
The Argentina international has spent much of the summer pushing for a move away from Atletico, with Barcelona consistently regarded as his preferred destination.
That route has now changed.
ESPN reports that Barcelona have parked their pursuit of Alvarez and are exploring alternative striker options before the transfer window closes.
For Arsenal, it removes one of the biggest obstacles surrounding a transfer Mikel Arteta has continued to monitor.
🚨 Julian Alvarez has been Arsenal’s main target after Vinicius Junior, but interest cooled when it became apparent he wanted to join Barcelona. With Atletico Madrid completely unwilling to deal with Barcelona, there is the possibility that an opportunity opens up the closer the… pic.twitter.com/8jXCYes0DC
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) August 20, 2026
Julian Alvarez Arsenal route changes after Barcelona decision
Arsenal have retained a long-standing interest in Alvarez despite his preference for Barcelona.
ReadArsenal reported on Wednesday that Alvarez’s Atletico situation had taken another turn after Diego Simeone left the forward out of his starting XI for the opening league game against Malaga.
Atletico went on to win 2-0 without him.
The Spanish club’s position remains Arsenal’s biggest problem.
Simeone and Atletico have repeatedly made clear that they want Alvarez to stay, despite the 26-year-old publicly expressing his desire for a transfer earlier this summer.
Barcelona stepping away therefore does not suddenly make a move to north London straightforward.
It does, however, alter the equation.
Alvarez can no longer rely on his preferred destination completing a deal before the window shuts, while Arsenal remain one of the elite European clubs to have consistently explored his situation.
ReadArsenal previously reported that Alvarez had moved back towards the top of Arsenal’s attacking wishlist after Vinicius Junior committed his future to Real Madrid.
Arteta’s side have continued considering another premium attacking addition despite already signing Christos Tzolis.
Whether Arsenal are prepared to meet Atletico’s demands remains uncertain, and there is currently no indication of a new formal bid.
Barcelona’s decision is still significant.
For much of the summer, Arsenal faced two major barriers to an Alvarez deal: Atletico’s refusal to lose him and the player’s preference for Barcelona.
One of those obstacles has now weakened considerably.
The focus turns to whether Arsenal believe the remaining one is worth testing before the window closes.
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