Julian Alvarez Transfer Saga With Arsenal Given Shocking New Twist

The details of a conversation between Mikel Arteta and Alvarez have emerged amid reported interest from one of Arsenal’s Premier League rivals.

The future for Julián Alvarez appears murky. | Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto/Getty Images

While reports would suggest that Julián Alvarez has already told Mikel Arteta that he has no interest in joining Arsenal, new links have emerged between the World Cup finalist and his former club Manchester City.

Alvarez has been the reluctant central figure of this summer’s transfer window. After telling the world he wanted to leave Atlético Madrid to “fulfill my dream” during the World Cup, the capital club has made it its mission to quash any prospect of a move to Barcelona, the striker’s clear preference.

There have been polite bids from Real Madrid and spurious interest from Paris Saint-Germain, amid public threats between Atlético and Barça. The crowd in Madrid have turned against Alvarez, who has sulked through a distracted start to the new La Liga season.

After the public decree of Atlético, it had appeared that Alvarez’s future was split down two paths: stay and repair his relationship with the fans at the Metropolitano or join Arsenal. Now it has been claimed that there is a third alternative in the mix.

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Do Wild Man City Links Make Any Sense?

Julián Alvarez stuffed his trophy cabinet at Manchester City. | Alex Livesey/Danehouse/Getty Images

Remarkably, MARCA have claimed that Manchester City have opened the door to a potential approach for Alvarez, the Argentine forward who won six trophies in two seasons at the Etihad between 2022–24 before he was sold to Atlético.

Sensing an opportunistic opening during this standoff, City have supposedly put forward the prospect of taking Alvarez on loan. The jet-heeled forward only left Manchester to go in search of more first-team minutes. Erling Haaland still remains the club’s undisputed starter but Enzo Maresca is a flexible enough tactician to pair the two strikers together, particularly in a roster without the Tottenham Hotspur-bound duo of Sávio and Omar Marmoush. In the face of such open hostility at Atlético, from the board and the stands, a return to a place where Alvarez enjoyed so much success may be inviting.

However, there would be a lot of hurdles to overcome.

Atlético are thought to be insistent on getting $174.2 million (£128.5 million, €150 million) for their top scorer, rather than a modest loan fee without any guarantee of a permanent deal. Arsenal would reportedly be willing to come to a club-to-club arrangement, yet Alvarez’s opinion of English soccer is a sticking point that would also surely impact City’s charm offensive.

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Alvarez’s Reported Conversation With Mikel Arteta

Julián Alvarez (left) has supposedly already reached out to Mikel Arteta. | David Ramos/UEFA/Getty Images

For many players, Arsenal would represent an inviting suitor. The freshly-crowned Premier League champions and recently denied Champions League finalists have proven their status as one of the world’s top clubs in one of the planet’s most revered cities. Mikel Arteta has a roster collectively enjoying its prime years with a ‘win now’ mentality borne out by their results.

Yet, it does not appear to be a destination that appeals to Alvarez.

The former City forward has communicated as much to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, according to The Athletic’s transfer correspondent David Ornstein. While the prospect of a change of heart is put forward, it has been claimed that Alvarez told the Arsenal boss that he “doesn’t want to come” with the possibility of a deal being struck given a “low chance” of happening.

If Arsenal are off the table and Atlético are reluctant to do business with either City or Barcelona, Alvarez’s options are whittled down to just one uncomfortable scenario: facing the music in Madrid.

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