A number of stories suggest that Arsenal are considering a game-changing swap deal - but is all as it seems?
For weeks now, Arsenal’s search for a new forward – particularly one who can play on the left wing – has borne little fruit. Vinícius Junior was always a long shot, Juventus won’t sell Kenan Yildiz, Bradley Barcola set his heart on Liverpool, and primary target Julián Alvarez appeared to be entirely unobtainable. Until now.
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For most of the summer, Atlético Madrid have held firm in their insistence that the Argentine would be staying at the Metropolitano despite firm interest from both Arsenal and Barcelona. There is evidence that their resolve may be cracking, however, and even a suggestion that a sensational swap deal could take place to ease Alvarez’s passage to the Emirates.
A new story suggests that Arsenal could be trying to use Viktor Gyökeres as a makeweight in a trade for Alvarez – but could that really happen, and how likely is it that the Gunners get their man one way or the other?
Could Arsenal swap Julián Alvarez and Viktor Gyökeres this summer?
Viktor Gyökeres has lost his place to Kai Havertz - and could yet leave Arsenalplaceholder image
Viktor Gyökeres has lost his place to Kai Havertz - and could yet leave Arsenal | Getty Images
The suggestion that Arsenal could be preparing to offer Gyökeres to Atlético Madrid in exchange for Alvarez cropped up in a recent report by Spanish outlet Sport, who suggested that the Gunners were “planning” to swap the Swede and a cool €80m (£68.5m) in order to get a deal for Alvarez over the line.
Gyökeres had a relatively disappointing first season at the Emirates after making a £55m move from Sporting last summer, scoring 21 goals in 55 appearances but often disappearing in big matches and failing to find the lethal finishing touch that he appeared to have in Portugal.
On that basis, using Gyökeres to leverage an affordable deal for Alvarez makes a certain amount of sense – Arsenal would get their man, Atlético would get a replacement with a suitably high ceiling, and everyone could walk away happy. That doesn’t mean that it’s very likely to be happen.
Although a number of gossip columns have parroted Sport’s story while outlets including The Sun and The Daily Express have run with it as well, it’s not a story that’s been picked up by any reliable sources yet – and there are even competing claims which suggest that Gyökeres is more likely to end up at Barcelona if he leaves.
Alvarez himself is believed to prefer a move to the Camp Nou, but Atlético are refusing point blank to sell the former Manchester City forward to a rival club in the same division – and if he will insist on leaving, as appears to be the case, then they appear to be trying to funnel him towards Arsenal to get him out of the country.
The suggestion from some Spanish sources, including El Chiringuito, is that Alvarez could accept the second-best option (as he sees it) and move to Arsenal, with Gyökeres then moving to Barcelona as they fill the void they had hoped they could plug with the Argentine.
None of the sources for any of these stories are noted for being remarkably strong, our own sources hasn’t so much as hinted at the likelihood of a swap deal of any kind, and the chances are that any negotiations taking place which involve Alvarez and Gyökeres are entirely separate – not least because Atlético have already held talks over other attacking players, including Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson and Club Brugge’s Nicolò Tresoldi. But while Sport’s story may well be specious, that doesn’t mean that Alvarez won’t end up Arsenal one way or the other.
The swap deal may be nonsense – but Arsenal could still sign Alvarez
Julián Alvarez is reportedly likely to accept a move to Arsenalplaceholder image
Julián Alvarez is reportedly likely to accept a move to Arsenal | Getty Images
While the odds of a swap deal involving Alvarez and Gyökeres look extremely low as it stands, the chances that Arsenal get their hands on their main target for the rest of the transfer window do appear to be getting higher.
Having initially hoped to hang on to Alvarez, Atlético seem to be have given up on keeping the 26-year-old around. He was restricted to a place on the substitutes’ bench in this weekend’s La Liga match against Villarreal after his relationship with the backroom staff began to deteriorate, and there is a growing feeling in Madrid that he will be allowed to leave provided that Arsenal – or another club from outside Spain – meet the asking price, likely to be in the £125-130m area.
Arsenal are by far the most likely team to make a bid of that magnitude. Few other teams in Europe have the resources, and none appear to be half as keen on Alvarez as Arsenal. It’s now largely a matter of their willingness to spend the cash.
Alvarez, for his part, is apparently coming round to the idea of moving back to England having initially set his sights on Barcelona, especially after Atlético fans booed him when he came off the bench in the eventual 2-2 draw against Villarreal on Sunday. Given that the choice now looks like moving to Arsenal or staying put, the reaction from his own supporters seems to have provided a certain sense of perspective.
Right now, the odds seem to be in favour of Alvarez moving to Arsenal before the deadline, although there are plenty of hurdles to clear and no agreement in place. The chances are that any moves involving Gyökeres will be tangential rather than intertwined, and a swap deal appears to be improbably, despite Sport’s claims and those of the many outlets who repeated their story. One way another, however, the Gunners look like they’ll get their man.