Julian Alvarez continues to be heavily linked with a move to Arsenal late in the summer transfer window
Mikel Arteta speaks at a press conference
Mikel Arteta and Arsenal are not finished in the transfer window(Image: Getty )
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There is just over a week remaining in the transfer window but the noise surrounding Arsenal’s transfer activity is refusing to die down. The Premier League champions have strengthened considerably this summer, splashing close to £200million on five new signings.
They have welcomed Piero Hincapie on a permanent basis, Illan Meslier, Christos Tzolis, Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa, all of whom will increase Mikel Arteta’s chances of defending his title and challenging for the Champions League this term.
That was evident from Arsenal’s two opening fixtures to kick off the 2026/27 campaign. The Gunners secured a 3-0 Community Shield win over title rivals Manchester City and a 3-0 demolition of Coventry City in their Premier League opener.
Yet, sporting director Andrea Berta is still understood to be working on bringing in a world class forward. There are also several players being linked with exits before the window closes on September 1, including Gabriel Martinelli, Reiss Nelson and Gabriel Jesus.
Julian Alvarez price tag
The Athletic reports that Atletico Madrid would not entertain any offer under €150m (£128.3m) from Arsenal for their star striker Julian Alvarez. He has been eyed by the Gunners long before the summer transfer window even opened, with the Argentine being one of Arteta’s dream targets.
As Arsenal’s search for a marquee forward continues and their pursuit of other targets like Vinicius Junior fell by the wayside, links to Alvarez have only grown stronger. Atletico’s stance, at least publicly, has been that their talisman is not for sale all summer.
Julian Alvarez of Atletico de Madrid sits on the bench prior to the LaLiga EA Sports football match between Atletico de Madrid and Villarreal CF at Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, on August 23, 2026.
Arsenal are waiting to see whether a deal for Julian Alvarez is possible(Image: Getty )
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But things could be different when it comes to Arsenal, given the Spanish side are specifically refusing to sell to direct rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona. Alvarez's insistence on a move to the latter has been one of the major stumbling blocks for Arsenal so far in their pursuit.
Real Madrid announced in June that they had seen an offer of £128m rejected for Alvarez, though Atleti sources said they did not believe the bid was a genuine proposal. The north Londoners are yet to table a bid and a source close to Atletico’s leadership reportedly believes it is unlikely that they will put forward that kind of money for the striker.
Alvarez was jeered and whistled by his own fans during Atletico’s draw against Villarreal on Sunday, before being asked by a club official not to go over to the supporters to applaud them at the end of the game. He cut a dejected figure as he made his way down the tunnel alone amid the boos.
Arsenal 'prepared to sell' Lewis-Skelly
Myles Lewis-Skelly of Arsenal
Manchester United have been linked with Arsenal star Myles Lewis-Skelly(Image: Alex Pantling - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
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The Sun reports that Arsenal are prepared to sell Myles Lewis-Skelly if a club meets their valuation of the teenager, which is more than £50m. The 19-year-old academy graduate reclaimed his place in the starting line-up towards the end of last season after growing uncertainty surrounding his future, having fallen out of favour with Arteta for the left-back position.
Lewis-Skelly was one of Arsenal’s standout players in pre-season and has started both of their first two official fixtures of the campaign, impressing in both victories. Amid reports of the Gunners offering their talented youngster to rivals like Chelsea and Manchester United, and the player’s curious goal celebration earlier this month, Arteta finally put fears over his exit to bed last week.
The manager said “100%” when asked whether he’s confident Lewis-Skelly will remain at the club beyond the end of the transfer window. But, in what would be a potentially huge U-turn just days later, The Sun now claims that United still have reason to believe Arsenal could be persuaded to sell the midfielder, who the Red Devils want to play as a left-back.
Lewis-Skelly has not directly addressed speculation surrounding his future this summer, but did state that he wants a legacy in north London when signing a new contract last year.
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