Atletico Madrid have made it clear that they will not give up Julian Alvarez without a fight this summer, but it may in fact benefit Arsenal. Real Madrid confirmed they had had a bid turned down for Alvarez on Tuesday evening, but the Gunners are being cast in pole position for the Argentina forward.
President Florentino Perez had committed to making a €150m bid for a player last week, but confirmed that their offer for Alvarez had been turned down. Nevertheless, it has been disputed whether there was an offer, or even a real intention to sign him. Barcelona on the other hand do have a desire to sign Alvarez, and have had their own €100m offer turned down, but Atletico are reluctant to sell both.
Arsenal cast as favourites for Julian Alvarez offer
In Spain, Diario AS (via BNN) say that Arsenal are the side with the best chance of signing Alvarez, and perhaps the only side that can ‘rescue’ him. The 26-year-old has informed Atletico about his desire to leave, but given they do not want to sell to another La Liga side, they could consider an offer from a side abroad. The Gunners are currently the only other side interested, and would have the money to put in a bid somewhere between Barcelona’s and Real Madrid’s offers.
Obstacles to Arsenal move
Last month, Paris Saint-Germain were also thought to be interested in Alvarez, but they did pull out of the race for Alvarez. The French side were unconvinced that Alvarez was entirely keen on a move to PSG. This could also be an obstacle for Arsenal, with it known that Alvarez prefers a move to Barcelona if possible. If that does not entirely halt Arsenal’s pursuit of Alvarez, it could certainly drag out a move late on into the summer.