Arsenal make request to Atletico Madrid & Julian Alvarez
Fabrizio Romano reports that Arsenal have asked those close to Julian Alvarez and Atletico Madrid to keep them informed in case the player decides to open the door to a return to the Premier League in the final nine days of the transfer window.
Romano adds that Alvarez’s current position remains that he still wants to join Barcelona. But Romano clarifies that the player is not rejecting the Gunners outright, he just wants Barcelona over all other options.
If Alvarez ultimately concludes that the Barcelona deal isn’t possible and that he wants to join Arsenal instead, the Gunners are ensuring they’ll be in a position to reenter the deal.
Gary Jacob reports for The Times that Arsenal are still hoping to sign an attacking superstar this summer, and that’s the reason for their recent renewed attempt to make contact with Atletico and Alvarez’s camp.
Jacob claims there still hasn’t been enough of an indication that Alvarez would be willing to return to England, and the player recently reiterated to Mikel Arteta that he wants to move to Barcelona.
Yet Spanish outlet AS add that Alvarez hasn’t completely closed the door on an Arsenal move. The player is prioritising Barcelona, but given the difficulties of the move, he might settle for a return to the Premier League.
The player is at least appreciative of Arsenal’s pursuit of him, and he views them favourably as an alternative. But the UK visa restriction issues he experienced with his loved ones when playing for Manchester City make him hesitant to play in England again.
Whether there’s a realistic hope of this move going ahead remains anyone’s guess. Atletico have been very publicly adamant they won’t sell to Barcelona, but those kinds of stances have often softened at the very end of a transfer window.
Alvarez may well decide over the next week that he’d rather join Arsenal than remain stuck at Atletico, but by then it may be too late for the clubs to negotiate a deal.
This one is going down to the wire, and that may end up proving problematic for Arsenal’s chances.
