atletico-madrid-alvarez
In the final week of the window it would appear that Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez is Arsenal's preferred choice to strengthen the front line.
Yet, this will not be an easy deal to wrap up. The Argentine has dreamed of a move to Barcelona all summer long and they are still his number one destination.
Rice-Alvarez-Atletico-Arsenal
However, with no offer forthcoming, it may well be that Alvarez only has two options. The first is to stay in Madrid where he was booed and jeered by the home support last weekend, or to move to north London.
If he does make the switch to north London, he could quickly become one of the best attackers in the Premier League.
How Julian Alvarez compares to the Premier League's best
Not much was missing from Arsenal's title-winning squad of last season but if we were to get criticial, it's hard to praise the attacking line too much.
Viktor Gyokeres arrived and didn't end up setting the world alight despite his 21 goals in all competitions. He was sluggish and one dimensional. Sure, the Gunners won the league but long-term, the Swede is not the man to carry them to further glory.
Viktor-Gyokeres-Arsenal-premier-league-trophy
It explains the links to Alvarez, who despite scoring one fewer goal than Gyokeres in 2025/26, would represent an upgrade. The 2022 World Cup winner is anything but one dimensional. He's multi-faceted, versatile. In short, he's the perfect striker for Arsenal. He's the ideal blend of goalscoring and creativity.
So, how does he compare to the Premier League's best? Well, understandably so, he's behind his old teammate Erling Haaland since moving to Atletico Madrid but apart from that, he ranks favourably.
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Alvarez vs selected PL strikers (last 2 seasons)
Player
1) Erling Haaland
2) Julian Alvarez
3) Hugo Ekitike
4) Ollie Watkins
5) Joao Pedro
6) Benjamin Sesko
7) Alexander Isak
8) Igor Thiago
9) Kai Havertz
10) Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Aged 26, Alvarez would be re-arriving in England at the peak of his powers. Compared to the best strikers the division has seen over the last two years, the Atletico sensation is more prolific than every single one of them apart from the main man.
For a while now, Mikel Arteta has been craving an elite forward, specifically a striker, and in the former Man City star he could finally find someone capable of taking his team to the next level.
Reuters/Vincent Carchietta
That said, with the player's dream move remaining Barca, it still feels like this swoop is an unlikely one. Arsenal need to be prepared for the fact that he could continue to reject their advances.
How Arsenal could forget Julian Alvarez
There is a sense that if Arsenal fail to conclude a move for Alvarez they will head into the remaining parts of the season without another forward added.
Is that the best idea? Perhaps not. Arteta and Andrea Berta need to consult a list of alternatives.
One player could well be Victor Osimhen. During talks with Galatasaray over the idea of signing Gabriel Martinelli, the Nigerian's future was reportedly discussed. Yet, like Alvarez, he could cost an absolute fortune.
Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
Is there a cheaper option? The answer to that question is yes. His name is Jonathan David. According to reports this week, a number of Premier League clubs including the Gunners, Manchester United and Aston Villa have all held talks with intermediaries about a potential move.
David's services have been offered to all three of those clubs with his current side Juventus holding out for a fee of around £34m to sell him this summer.
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Would the Canadian be a good acquisition? Judging by last season this would be a questionable capture. After moving to Italy, he scored just eight goals in 46 matches.
It was a desperately poor campaign for a player who has previously been celebrated as "one of the best strikers in the world" by Canadian football expert Tony Marinaro.
In truth, David still is. He has showcased that over a number of years in France with Lille and was also in ruthless form for Canada at the World Cup, scoring a devastating hat-trick in a 6-0 win over Qatar.
Before joining Juve, the 26-year-old was simply one of the most prolific strikers around and he's right up there with Alvarez in that regard. Judging by that, he begins to become a more impressive option.
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David vs Alvarez goals per season
Season
2021/22
2022/23
2023/24
2024/25
2025/26
Total
The South American has been more consistent in the last year but when they were at the peak of their powers in 2024/25, there was little to separate them.
jonathan-david-juventus
While Alvarez had a conversion rate of 23% in La Liga, David had a conversion rate of 22%. The latter's shot accuracy was also as high as 61%. Atleti's star man, meanwhile, hit 66% of his shots on target.
Sure, Alvarez should still be the number one option here but if a move does turn out to be off the cards, there are certainly worse alternatives out there than David. The Canadian has more than proven he can provide a regular source of goals.