Arsenal have intensified their pursuit of Julián Álvarez, with Atlético Madrid making clear they are prepared to sanction a move to the Premier League club but not to Barcelona.
According to a fresh update from ESPN, Arsenal are stepping up their push for the Argentina international and hope to get a deal done before the end of pre-season training, with Mikel Arteta having identified Álvarez as his priority attacking target this summer. The Gunners have been encouraged by Paris Saint-Germain cooling their own interest in the striker, and by Atlético’s determination to keep him away from LaLiga rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Julián Álvarez’s Camp Nou Dream Runs Into An Atlético Roadblock
ESPN reports that Atlético’s valuation of the 26-year-old sits above €150m, a figure that has left negotiations complicated and explains why no fee has yet been agreed despite Arsenal’s growing conviction that a deal is gettable.
Arsenal’s chase gathered pace at the weekend when Sky Sports’ Paper Talk column, citing the Daily Mirror, reported the north London club had turned more firmly to Álvarez partly because PSG forward Bradley Barcola — a player Barcelona have themselves monitored — was unavailable this summer. Álvarez himself said after Argentina’s World Cup win over Austria that leaving Atlético to “fulfil his dream” was now the best outcome for all parties — a dream Fabrizio Romano has reported means Barcelona, with the striker said to have told both PSG and Arsenal as much when they made contact, though he would consider the Premier League if a Barcelona move proves impossible.
With Atlético refusing to strengthen a direct domestic rival, Joan Laporta’s interest in Álvarez now faces a straight fight with a London club holding fewer political complications — and deeper pockets than Barcelona currently have to spend.
