Arsenal are ready to pull the trigger on a blockbuster £130million transfer for Julian Alvarez - but only if the wantaway star is ready to give up on a move to Barcelona
Julian Alvarez
Julian Alvarez's future will finally be decided in the coming days(Image: Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Julian Alvarez is nearing the point of no return at Atletico Madrid - but Arsenal are facing a race against time to get a deal done.
The Argentina star, 26, was booed by Atletico fans last weekend after making it clear he wants to leave the club with Barcelona his preferred choice. That has caused a major row with the hierarchy behind the scenes and there may be no way back for the want-away striker with the next few days crucial in resolving Alvarez’s future and whether Atletico decide to stay firm or sell.
Arsenal are ready to pounce if they are given encouragement by Atletico or Alvarez but the clock is ticking to get a mega deal done before the transfer window shuts next Tuesday night.
The Gunners will have to bid around £130m to tempt Atletico to sell and they will also want to know that Alvarez is fully committed because he made it clear that he wants to join Barcelona.
Arsenal are in the process of selling Gabriel Martinelli to Al Hilal for £50m while they also want to offload Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson in the next few days.
But, equally, there is still a strong possibility they could allow all those players to leave and not bring in any new signings because it would appear that it is now Alvarez or bust for the Gunners.
While there is clear admiration for Alvarez and Mikel Arteta is a huge fan, they will not pay over the odds and are realistic about the chances of getting such a huge deal done in a small time frame.
Julian Alvarez has the support of the Atletico Madrid squad after being booed amid his uncertain future
Alvarez was booed by Atletico fans following speculation over his future(Image: Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Arsenal have already spent big this summer with Bruno Guimarães, Christos Tzolis and Ezri Jones arriving at the Emirates to bolster their title-winning squad.
They want to loan Ethan Nwaneri to another Premier League club if he goes out but there is also a feeling that if they do not bring in another forward then they have enough options with the likes of Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyokeres, Bukayo Saka, Tzolis, Noni Madueke and Max Dowman.