Arsenal are chasing Julian Alvarez as a marquee signing, while another doubt over Myles Lewis-Skelly's future has emerged
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with new signing Ezri Konsa at Sobha Realty Training Centre on August 21, 2026 in London Colney, England.
Arsenal have spent their money well this summer(Image: Stuart MacFarlane, Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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Arsenal have begun their 2026/27 campaign in impressive fashion, defeating Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield before backing that up with a comfortable Premier League victory over Coventry City via the same scoreline.
The two results underlined the strength of a squad that has already been significantly bolstered this summer, with close to £200million spent on five new arrivals in Piero Hincapie, Illan Meslier, Christos Tzolis, Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa.
With less than a week remaining in the transfer window, however, sporting director Andrea Berta is still believed to be in the market for a marquee forward signing. As such, Arsenal ’s interest in Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez continues to dominate headlines.
Meanwhile, several players — including Ethan Nwaneri, Gabriel Martinelli and Fabio Vieira — are said to be among those who could still depart before the September 1 deadline. Now, football.london examines two of the latest developments concerning the reigning Premier League champions.
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Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez demand
According to The Athletic, Atletico Madrid are demanding a fee of €150m (£128.3m) from Arsenal to part ways with Alvarez. The Gunners have had their eye on the Argentina striker throughout this summer, with manager Mikel Arteta identifying him as one of his primary targets.
As Arsenal's chase for a world-class No.9 continues and their pursuit of other targets, such as Vinicius Junior, has fallen short, speculation surrounding Alvarez has only intensified. Atletico's position, officially, has remained consistent throughout the summer — their star player is simply not up for sale.
Julián Alvarez of Atletico de Madrid looks on during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Atletico de Madrid and Villarreal CF at Riyadh Air Metropolitano on August 23, 2026 in Madrid, Spain.
Atletico Madrid are demanding a club record fee from Arsenal regarding Julian Alvarez(Image: Angel Martinez, Getty Images)
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However, the situation could play out differently where Arsenal are concerned, given that the Spanish club are specifically unwilling to sell to domestic rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona. Alvarez's own eagerness to join the Catalans has proven to be one of the most significant obstacles in Arsenal's pursuit to date.
Real Madrid at the start of the summer announced that their £128m offer for Alvarez had been pushed back, though sources at Atletico said they did not consider the offer to be a serious one. The north Londoners are yet to submit a formal bid but have been willing to back Arteta this summer.
Alvarez received a hostile reception from his own supporters during Atletico's draw with Villarreal on Sunday, before a club official seemingly asked him not to go over to the fans at the final whistle. He cut a miserable figure as he trudged down the tunnel alone to the sound of boos.
Man Utd hope to sign Lewis-Skelly
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 21: Myles Lewis-Skelly of Arsenal acknowledges the fans after the Premier League 2026/27 match between Arsenal FC and Coventry City at Emirates Stadium on August 21, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Manchester United want Myles Lewis-Skelly(Image: Justin Setterfield, Getty Images)
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The Sun claims that Arsenal are willing to part with Myles Lewis-Skelly should a club match their valuation of the teenager, which exceeds £50m. The 19-year-old academy product regained his spot in the starting XI towards the end of last season following mounting speculation about his future, having dropped down the pecking order under Arteta for the left-back role.
Lewis-Skelly was among Arsenal's most impressive performers during pre-season and has featured from the start in both of their opening two competitive matches of the campaign, catching the eye in both victories. After the Gunners stunned their own fans by making the promising youngster available to rivals such as Chelsea and Manchester United earlier this month, and the player's eye-catching goal celebration in response, Arteta finally dismissed concerns over his departure last week.
The manager responded with "100%" when quizzed on whether he's confident Lewis-Skelly will stay at the club. However, in what would represent a potentially monumental reversal just days later, The Sun now reports that United still believe Arsenal could be convinced to offload the midfielder, whom the Red Devils wish to deploy as a left-back.
Lewis-Skelly has not personally commented on rumours surrounding his future this summer, but did express that he wants a legacy in north London when penning a new contract last year.
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