Arsenal have held exploratory talks over the transfer of Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez.
The Gunners’ Sporting Director Berta has a close relationship with the La Liga club; he spent 12 years working at Atlético Madrid before moving to North London last March. In August 2024, Berta led the negotiations for Álvarez’s €95 million transfer from Manchester City to Atlético Madrid, and sources claim he still maintains close contact with the player’s agent Fernando Hidalgo and his team.
Barcelona also holds strong interest in Álvarez, but their ongoing financial issues have complicated this potential blockbuster deal. It is understood that Álvarez’s contract includes a release clause as high as €500 million, but Spanish sources indicate that if Atlético Madrid is willing to sell, they will demand a transfer fee of over €100 million this summer.
Since joining Atlético Madrid, Álvarez has scored 40 goals in 85 matches, and his contract runs until 2030. The exact nature of Arsenal’s approach remains unclear, but sources state that club officials have made informal inquiries to assess the feasibility of the deal before deciding whether to submit a formal bid later this year.
Prior to signing Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting CP last summer, Arsenal had listed Álvarez as one of their striker targets, along with Benjamin Šeško (who later moved from RB Leipzig to Manchester United). Gyökeres has had a mixed start to life at the Gunners. The 27-year-old striker scored his ninth goal of the season in Tuesday’s Champions League away win over Inter Milan, but has yet to replicate his blistering form of nearly one goal per game in two seasons at Sporting CP. To date, he has made 27 appearances for the team.
Gabriel Jesus scored a brace against Inter Milan and expressed his desire to extend his contract and stay at the club; his current deal expires in 2027. However, Jesus confirmed that no contract extension talks have taken place yet, and sources suggest that Arsenal may be open to listening to offers for the Brazilian striker at the end of the season.
With the team competing on four fronts, Kai Havertz is also set to make a full recovery soon. When all three of the club’s strikers were unavailable for selection, midfielder Mikel Merino was deployed as a makeshift forward.
