Barcelona’s reported decision not to pursue Julian Alvarez in January could give Arsenal a fresh chance to sign the Atletico Madrid striker. The Argentina international was open to a move to Barcelona during the summer, but Arsenal could now revisit their interest if the Spanish club stays out of the race.
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According to latest transfer news, Julian Alvarez could become important for Arsenal after Barcelona has refused to pursue him in January. The Argentinian striker was one of the main targets for Barcelona during the summer and now that they have backed out Arsenal have got a huge opportunity on their hands.
Julian Alvarez did not exactly reject Arsenal
Arsenal had made a serious opportunity to sign Alvarez with Arteta even personally discussing with him a move to the Gunners. As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Julian did not simply reject them and instead chose to wait and see.
This decision made Arsenal look elsewhere. Eventually, Alvarez stayed at Atletico and Arsenal continued with their other attacking options.
As reported by CaughtOffside now, Barcelona has resisted making a move for him in January. This means that Arsenal has got a huge opportunity to sign Alvarez as he had already considered a move to Premier League. However, Arsenal would have to decide if another approach is worth the cost.
Is Julian Alvarez worth the hype?
Julian Alvarez’s 2026-27 stats for Atletico Madrid, according to FOTMOB:
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Competition Matches Starts Minutes Played Goals Assists Shots
La Liga 3 0 83 0 0 5
Champions League 1 1 90 0 1 3
Julian Alvarez’s goal contributions are a bit of a concern. Viktor Gyokeres had more goal contributions than Alvarez last season. Gyokeres focuses mostly on attacking space and finishing while Alvarez, on the other hand, can become involved in possession. Arsenal needs to properly evaluate what they want from Alvarez. The club may value his ability to link the midfield and attack.
The transfer fee could be a problem
The critical issue for Arsenal could be his transfer fee. Atletico have very few reasons to sell one of their top players in the middle of the season. As a result, Arsenal could get a much higher asking price than what they can afford. As per transfermrket, his current market value is €120m.
Atletico will also have to find his replacement if he leaves midway during the season, making the Spanish team less likely to sell him. The biggest question for Arsenal is whether he is worth the investment or not. Arsenal would have to evaluate his market value properly in comparison to his skill and experience. They would have to be careful not to go over the budget on him.
If Arsenal returns for him, the player will have an important decision to make. His preference for Barcelona played a huge part in the transfer saga. Now, with Barcelona out of the picture, he would have to reassess his options carefully.
Arsenal would need to present a strong case to win him over. Arteta could help him win big or at least go deep in both Premier League and Champions League. However, Alvarez would still need to decide whether a return to English football suits his plans. There is, however, still no guarantee that Arsenal would make a move again for Alvarez.
Author’s opinion
Barcelona backing out of a move for Alvarez has completely changed the transfer story. Now, with Barcelona out of the picture, Arsenal have got a better chance of signing him. However, first they would need to evaluate if he is worth the approach.
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