The Gunners have been tracking the Argentine all summer.
Atletico de Madrid v Villarreal CF - LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27
Julian Alvarez is continually being linked with a move to Arsenal (Image: Getty)
Arsenal have reportedly been told how much they'd have to pay to secure the signing of Julian Alvarez this summer. The striker has been linked with a move to the north Londoners, with Barcelona also believed to be interested in the Argentine.
Even though Arsenal spent big on Viktor Gyokeres last summer, Mikel Arteta is believed to be a gigantic admirer of Alvarez and views him as the missing piece to the jigsaw. It's the sort of transfer those inside the Emirates Stadium believe could take them to the next level and finally help to deliver that elusive Champions League title.
But if the Arsenal hierarchy want to make this happen, they'll have to put forward a club record fee for the forward, given Atletico Madrid are demanding way over £120million for his signature. That's according to The Athletic, who report Atletico would consider sanctioning a sale for €150m, which translates to around £128m.
The situation in the Spanish capital has turned toxic since Alvarez returned to Atletico, with the fans having jeered him on two occasions. His name was booed before the match against Villarreal, while Alvarez was once again whistled when he entered the pitch.
When asked about the reception, manager Diego Simeone said: “I’m not here to give advice. What I have to do is concentrate on my work, which is, from a sporting sense, to give my best for Atletico Madrid.
“The only thing I know is that if Atletico Madrid want to win a title, we need to be together, we need to have forwards, and we need to have important forwards. And for that, we need to work on it as a result, everyone, on what we need.”
Atletico de Madrid v Villarreal CF - LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27
Julian Alvarez was jeered by the Atletico Madrid fans (Image: Getty)
As such, the subject of Alvarez's future has been thrust back into the spotlight, and there is one thing that Arsenal have in their favour compared to Barcelona. That's because it's claimed Atletico would much prefer to sell to a team outside La Liga, than be seen strengthening one of their rivals for the league title.
Officially, they have maintained Alvarez isn't for sale this summer, but the report suggests if Arsenal were to put forward a bid in the region of £128m it could force their hand. Before the World Cup, Real Madrid published a statement saying they'd had an offer of that amount rejected, but Atletico didn't believe the bid to be a serious one.