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€150m Arsenal deal could hinder Arteta's most underrated weapon
23 Aug 2026 10:00 CDT |
4 min read
News
Arsenal remain interested in signing Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez and it’s understood that a deal could still be finalised before Transfer Deadline Day, despite his desire to join Barcelona.
The Argentina international is desperate to leave Diego Simeone’s side before the summer window slams shut and he has earmarked Barca as his preferred destination, with the Spanish giants keen to finalise a deal following the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.
However, Atleti have no interest in strengthening a direct rival, and this has given Arsenal renewed hope that a deal could be on the cards.
It has been reported that Alvarez has rejected the chance to join Arsenal as he continues to prioritise a move to Camp Nou, but Spanish outlet AS confirm that he could still decide to join the Gunners if a transfer to Barcelona continues to be blocked by the Atletico Madrid hierarchy.
Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta reportedly remain in contact with Alvarez in a bid to persuade him to secure an Emirates Stadium switch, and considering he wants to leave Atleti, a deal could still be finalised before Deadline Day.
If Alvarez does join Arsenal this summer, it could directly hinder the potency of Arteta’s most underrated attacking weapon: Kai Havertz.
Kai Havertz: Arsenal’s most underrated attacking weapon
Arsenal have been urged to sign a new centre forward ever since Havertz’s arrival from Chelsea in 2023 and the club finally relented by finalising a deal for Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres last summer.
The transfer made complete sense given the Sweden star’s goalscoring exploits during a two-year stint at Sporting, and his debut season at Arsenal was promising, if not spectacular.
Gyokeres showed glimpses of real potential and his eventual goal tally of 21 strikes in 55 games during his first campaign in north London was fairly healthy. However, by the end of 2025-26, he had been usurped by Havertz.
The Germany international was selected ahead of Gyokeres for the Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain and he was once again favoured during Arsenal’s first game of the new Premier League season on Friday night - a 3-0 victory over Coventry City.
Havertz opened the scoring with a composed finish in the 15th minute and he has now found the back of the net in each of his last five competitive starts for Arsenal.
In total, the 27-year-old has scored 38 goals in 113 games for the Gunners - netting once every 207 minutes - but competition for places and his ability to play in midfield means he has never been given a full season as Arsenal’s first-choice number nine. However, his recent form suggests this has been a major oversight and it’s quite clear that Arteta’s side look a far more polished attacking unit when Havertz leads the line.
The ex-Chelsea star possesses immense link-up play, he has excellent movement in the penalty area and his ability to float around the pitch, rather than stay static up alongside opposition centre-backs, often causes huge trouble.
STATS
Kai Havertz
F, M (C)
Arsenal
Kai Havertz
F, M (C)
Arsenal
Havertz’s match intelligence frequently opens up space for the likes of Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, and it’s no coincidence that Arsenal’s eye-catching start to the new campaign - with consecutive 3-0 wins against Manchester City and Coventry - has come with Havertz selected up front.
Of course, signing Alvarez would give Arteta one of the best strikers in the world, but it would also hinder arguably his most underrated weapon and that may not be a risk that Arsenal are willing to take, especially given it will likely take €150 million to land the Argentina forward.
