Antoine Griezmann may actually have helped Arsenal make their dream final summer signing

Atletico Madrid are adamant they will not sell Julian Alvarez to Barcelona under any circumstances.

Ultimately, that could help deliver one of the best forward players in the world to Arsenal.

But to understand why this relationship between the two Spanish clubs is so sour you have to go back to the summer of 2019.

At the time, Antoine Griezmann wanted to leave Atletico for Barcelona — just like Alvarez right now.

And similarly to this summer’s saga, Atletico accused Barca of disrespect and betrayal, permanently scarring the relationship between the two clubs.

Atletico alleged that Barca and Griezmann had reached a secret agreement as early as March 2019, months before any official approach was made. In their view, that was a violation of ‘protected negotiation periods’.

Atletico released a furious statement accusing both Barcelona and Griezmann of “disrespect” and expressing their “strongest repulsion for the behaviour of both.”

The Alvarez case differs slightly in that Atletico haven’t this time directed any disappointment towards the player. But the general feeling of the saga is eerily similar.

Atletico’s board released an official statement this week unanimously backing the decision not to sell Alvarez to Barcelona.

The club’s CEO, Miguel Angel Gil Martin, has maintained throughout the summer that this isn’t about money, it’s about dignity.

No fee is large enough to make Atletico sell to the club that they believe has disrespected them repeatedly. And that all stems back to the Griezmann legacy.

Arsenal, though, will be hoping the Alvarez saga doesn’t follow the same result. Atletico did actually end up selling Griezmann to Barca that same summer, in a deal worth €120million.

I suppose, really, that goes to show that we should never say never, and maybe Alvarez could still really end up in Catalonia by the deadline.

But right now, momentum is in Arsenal’s favour, who have been waiting patiently in the wings all summer.

The Gunners are confident they can strike a deal with Atletico, who want over £100million for Alvarez. It’s just whether they can convince the player to return to the Premier League.