Arsenal's Pursuit of Julián Álvarez: Barcelona's Priority
Arsenal are racing the clock to land Julián Álvarez from Atlético Madrid, with the London club already committed to ripping up a big part of their forward line.
Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Fábio Vieira are all heading for the exit in deals worth more than £70m combined, but the man Arsenal really want is looking the other way.
Álvarez fixated on Barcelona
Álvarez has made it clear he wants Barcelona. That is the problem at the heart of Arsenal’s attacking rebuild.
The Argentina international returned to Atlético training on Sunday after being left out of the squad for the win over Sevilla, a decision that only fuelled speculation over his future. Atlético insist they will not sell to Barcelona, their direct rivals in La Liga, but the player’s stance is unchanged.
Mikel Arteta spoke to Álvarez last week, trying to tempt the former Manchester City forward back to the Premier League. The response was blunt: his priority is Barcelona and only Barcelona.
Barcelona, for their part, have already struck an £8.6m agreement to sign Jesus, who is in the final year of his contract at Arsenal and has slipped behind Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyökeres in the pecking order. That deal gives the Spanish champions one attacker, but not the one they really covet.
They have sold Ferran Torres to Paris Saint‑Germain and still want another forward. Inside the club, the hope of prising Álvarez away from Atlético has not disappeared.
Atlético dig in, Arsenal look around
Atlético have moved to protect themselves. They have agreed a deal with Juventus for Jonathan David, initially on loan with an option to buy the Canada international next summer. It is the sort of move that usually signals a departure elsewhere.
Yet Atlético are described as determined to keep Álvarez, who joined from Manchester City in 2024 and is seen as central to their plans.
Arsenal are not giving up. They remain hopeful the 26‑year‑old could have a change of heart if Barcelona cannot find an agreement with Atlético. At the same time, they are working through a list of alternatives.
Iliman Ndiaye of Everton was among the players on that shortlist, but Tottenham have moved ahead and are in advanced talks over a £60m transfer for the Senegal forward. Arsenal have already lost out on Morgan Rogers to Chelsea and saw an audacious move for Vinícius Júnior shut down when the Brazil star signed a contract extension at Real Madrid.
The market is moving fast. Arsenal are trying to keep up.
Martinelli’s record sale opens a gap
One deal is almost over the line. Martinelli is set to join Al‑Hilal in a club‑record £56m sale, with his medical scheduled for Monday after he was left out of Arsenal’s squad for the opening‑weekend win over Coventry.
The Brazilian scored six times in the Champions League last season but managed only one goal in the Premier League. Even so, his fee eclipses the £40m Liverpool paid Arsenal for Alex Oxlade‑Chamberlain in 2017 and underlines the scale of the reshuffle.
Arsenal have already signed Christos Tzolis to replace Leandro Trossard on the left, but Martinelli’s exit will tear open another space in Arteta’s attacking unit. Eberechi Eze can operate in that zone, offering flexibility, yet the club still want a specialist forward to reshape the front line.
Fábio Vieira is also on his way. The Portuguese midfielder, who spent last season on loan at Hamburg, is poised to join the German club permanently in an £8.6m deal.
So the pieces are moving. Money is coming in. Squad places are opening up.
What Arsenal do next depends on one man’s decision – and on whether Julián Álvarez is willing to turn his back on Barcelona and step back into the Premier League spotlight.
