Arsenal are leading Barcelona in the chase to sign Atletico Madrid superstar Julian Alvarez after the striker decided to change agents to help him secure a transfer in 2027, as per a report.
Alvarez admitted at the World Cup that he wanted to leave Atleti to join a new club. The Argentine is worried Atleti cannot match his ambitions, as he wants to win accolades such as the Champions League, LaLiga title and Ballon d’Or.
Alvarez made Barca his favoured option, despite interest from Arsenal, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
Madrid had a €150million (£127m) bid for Alvarez rejected by Atleti, while Barca saw a €100m (£84m) offer snubbed.
Atleti publicly stated that any club would have to match the player’s €500m (£422m) release clause to land him. Privately, Atleti were reportedly willing to sell for €200m (£169m).
According to an update from Catalan newspaper Sport, Alvarez has parted ways with his agent, Fernando Hidalgo, as he was left unhappy with how negotiations with Barca went over the summer.
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Javier Pastore, who represents Alvarez’s Argentina team-mate Enzo Fernandez, has emerged as an early frontrunner to work with the 26-year-old.
Alvarez ending his partnership with Hidalgo represents a significant blow for Barca, as the agent was their main point of contact in discussions.
Arsenal are now emerging as favourites to sign Alvarez. Our colleagues at TEAMtalk revealed last week that Alvarez has completed a U-turn and is now seriously considering a blockbuster move to Arsenal, with the Gunners preparing a fresh move in January.
TEAMtalk added that Arsenal could offer Atleti Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres or Ethan Nwaneri to help bring down the cost of the operation.
Arsenal to go all out for Julian Alvarez deal
Sport have also stated that Gyokeres could head in the opposite direction to Alvarez as part of a player-plus-cash deal.
Sport claim Alvarez’s drop in form has resulted in his price tag falling from €200m to €120m (£101m).
Given the fact Alvarez is one of the best centre-forwards in the world, Arsenal capturing him for £101m would be great business. Fernandez, Florian Wirtz, Bradley Barcola and Morgan Rogers are just some of the players who have moved for more than that fee.
However, it is hard to see Sport’s information on that reduced £101m valuation actually being true. Alvarez may be enduring a tough start to the season, but he remains an elite goalscorer when at his best, and also remains Atleti’s most valuable asset by some distance.
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