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Atletico Madrid are “pushing” for Arsenal transfer target Julian Alvarez to decide his future by Friday, according to reports.
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The Argentinian international has been holding out for a move to Barcelona, but Atletico have made it clear to the player in no uncertain terms that he will not be joining the La Liga champions this summer.
They would, however, be more open to Alvarez joining the Gunners, but even in that scenario, The Independent claim that they want negotiations to begin as soon as possible so they can find a replacement, with a “deadline” having now been set.
The striker has yet to give any indication that he is prepared to return to England, which suggests Atletico’s call for a quick decision may go unheeded.
Arsenal face several obstacles
In addition to doubts about whether they can persuade Alvarez, there are also big question marks over whether the Gunners can afford the transfer.
Atletico are said to be demanding €150m (£128m) for the 26-year-old, which is a figure that would not only smash the London club’s transfer record, but the British transfer record as well.
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A part-exchange offer could be proposed for Alvarez
One solution to reduce the cost of the deal would be to use players in a swap deal. The Independent report that Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus are both names that Atletico would be open to signing.
Of course, you would need to get the approval of Gyokeres and Jesus too, and that will add further complications, with contract negotiations and more agents.
Considering there is less than a week left to go before the transfer window closes on Tuesday, September 1st, you can understand why Atletico want talks for Alvarez’s transfer to ramp up sooner rather than later.