€150m Arsenal signing imminent? 'There will be movement'

10 Oct 2026 17:03 BST 2 min read

Tom Weber | Writer

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Arsenal remain "very interested" in Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez, and there could be "movement in the coming weeks."

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The Argentina international enjoyed a three-week reprieve from his Atletico Madrid struggles during the international break. Refreshed and determined to have an impact, Alvarez is now keen to recapture the form that previously made him one of Europe's most in-demand strikers.

After this summer's relentless transfer saga - Atleti refusing to sell him to Barcelona - Alvarez has endured a tough start to the season. He has barely played, been jeered by his own supporters and has yet to score a goal.

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€101.2M - €123.7M

Following his unsuccessful attempt at engineering a transfer, the 26-year-old has reportedly dropped his long-time agent Fernando Hidalgo and may soon be represented by Javier Pastore, who managed to take Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea to Man City after a months-long saga.

Despite his eagerness to make amends for this summer's drama, Alvarez's ultimate ambition remains to leave Atleti. His dream destination is still Barcelona, but the Catalans have pumped the brakes on their pursuit after signing Gabriel Jesus.

Alvarez to Arsenal?

This doesn't mean that Barcelona no longer want Alvarez. Quite the contrary, Sport reports that Hansi Flick remains a huge admirer of the Argentine. However, following their spat with Atleti, the LaLiga champions are trying to be less insistent and upfront about their interest.

Alvarez would be open to a January move, but a transfer to Barcelona appears to be off the table. Atleti have insisted that they will not sell him to their LaLiga rivals as long as the current sporting leadership remains in charge.

Moreover, it is unclear whether the Blaugrana could even afford the €150 million-rated striker. They failed to raise as much money from first-team sales as anticipated this summer and will likely also have to offload players in the winter.

Then, there is the topic of Erling Haaland. The Man City star is a dream target for the Catalans, and his future will be plunged into uncertainty if his club are hit with heavy sanctions for their myriad financial breaches.

All of this is to say that the easiest way for Alvarez to get out of Atleti is to agree to leave Spain, which he was unwilling to do this summer. Arsenal offered him an escape route, but the 26-year-old did not want to return to England after his spell at Man City.

That stance may have to change if he really wants to leave the Rojiblancos. Arsenal, for their part, are still an option. The aforementioned Spanish outlet claims that the Gunners remain "very interested."

"The London club are closely monitoring the situation and would be happy to negotiate a swap deal involving [Viktor] Gyokeres, a player who is not part of their future strategic plans," the report reads.

With Alvarez having changed his representatives, it is predicted that "there will be movement in the coming weeks because the January transfer window is just around the corner, and he wants to leave Atletico."