Julian Alvarez linked with Arsenal and Barcelona (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
Arsenal are reportedly planning to negotiate a move for Atletico Madrid striker Julián Álvarez this summer, but Barcelona could be blocked from signing the player.
The Argentina international shined during his time in La Liga, and has also proven his ability in the Premier League with Manchester City.
According to AS, Álvarez will be a player to watch this summer, with both Arsenal and Barcelona keen on him, despite his slightly weaker goalscoring statistics.
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However, the Spanish publication states that Atletico are furious with Barça’s approach to the deal, which could give Arsenal a boost.
It has been suggested that Atlético will prevent Barcelona from signing Alvarez in the future, while Arsenal are set to discuss signing the 26-year-old.
Julian Alvarez move could be risky for £120m
This is not the first time Alvarez has been linked with Arsenal, with BBC Sport also mentioning the Gunners’ interest in the former Man City player.
However, they have suggested Alvarez’s transfer fee could be up to £120m, which would clearly be too much for Arsenal to pay for a player who had just eight league goals in the final stages of the season.
Alvarez did better in the Champions League, but see below for a complete breakdown of his stats. This isn’t really “world class”…
| Julian Alvarez 2025/26 | game | the goal | assist |
| league | 29 | 8 | 4 |
| champions league | 15 | 10 | 4 |
| king’s cup | 4 | 2 | 0 |
Arsenal may be able to get away with making changes up front, but there are other areas they want to focus on, so spending the bulk of their budget on one player who won’t necessarily help upgrade Victor Gokeres will be a big challenge.
Perhaps the Argentine could do better with a different tactical setup, but it would be a big ask to single-handedly transform this somewhat outdated-looking Arsenal attack.
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Despite AFC having just won the Premier League title, there wasn’t much vintage football in Mikel Arteta’s side after the season ended, with the likes of Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard not at their best.
That could mean it will be difficult for Alvarez to shine not just on this team, but in a generally more competitive league that has seen a slight shift toward more defensive tactics over the past year or so.
