Julian Alvarez's behaviour since his failed summer move to Arsenal has been mentioned
Mikel Arteta celebrates
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal take on Lille next(Image: Getty)
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The return of club football over the weekend didn’t disappoint as Arsenal returned to winning ways in the Premier League. Mikel Arteta’s side found it tough going against a resilient Leeds United side on Saturday but were able to come back from a goal down to win 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium.
They will remain at home for Tuesday night’s Champions League league phase clash with Lille, having kicked their European campaign off with a win over Napoli last month. However, the Gunners will be without several players after suffering two fresh injury blows on Saturday.
Away from the pitch, the Premier League champions continue to be linked with several long-term transfer targets. That’s mainly due to the fact that, despite bringing in Christos Tzolis, Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa, there was a sense of unfinished business in the summer window as they missed out on a marquee forward signing.
Kenan Yildiz boost
Kenan Yildiz of Juventus FC looks on during the Serie A Enilive match between Frosinone Calcio and Juventus FC at Benito Stirpe Stadium on August 23, 2026 in Frosinone, Italy
Bayern Munich will not pursue Kenan Yildiz (Image: Getty )
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Arsenal have reportedly received a boost in the race for Kenan Yildiz’s signature. The Gunners are long-term admirers of the Juventus talisman.
They enquired about the 21-year-old Turkey international in the summer but were told by Juventus that their star winger was not for sale. Along with Arsenal, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich were also said to be interested in the €150million (£127m) player.
However, German publication BILD reports that Bayern, where Yildiz began his career, will not compete for his signature if other clubs come in with huge offers. The Bundesliga giants are unwilling to show that they made a costly mistake in initially letting him go, according to the same report.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are said to be able to meet Juve’s asking price, putting them in the driving seat. The Gunners kept their powder dry in the summer after seeing both of their big-money pursuits of Vinicius Junior and Julian Alvarez fall short.
Julian Alvarez behaviour
Atletico Madrid's Argentine forward #19 Julian Alvarez attends a training session on the eve of the UEFA Champions League, league phase, matchday 2, football match between Club Atletico de Madrid and Manchester United at the Ciudad Deportiva Atletico Madrid in Majadahonda, near Madrid on October 12, 2026.
Julian Alvarez's behaviour has been praised(Image: Getty )
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Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has praised Alvarez’s recent behaviour. The Argentine striker was denied his dream move from Atletico to Barcelona by the club in the summer.
That was despite the 26-year-old repeatedly voicing his desire to leave, which resulted in him being booed by his own fans at the start of this season. He even missed several training sessions in the final week of the transfer window in an effort to force through a move to Catalonia.
Arsenal pursued a deal for Alvarez but, despite Atletico being willing to listen to offers for their dissatisfied star, he was unwilling to join the north Londoners. He has since been reintegrated back into Simeone’s squad and played the entire second half of Saturday’s win over Alaves.
Simeone was impressed by the striker’s application and effort, despite recent rumours that he had made a U-turn on his initial decision to snub Arsenal. The manager said: "I thought Julian [Alvarez] looked good today. He came on with enthusiasm, eager to do well and help the team. He finished the match well."
Ahead of the game, Simeone had said: "I see him in good shape, enthusiastic, and he has the desire to give everything he has, as he always does. When he is in good shape, he gives us a different dimension in attack."