Julian Alvarez reacts to Man City’s offer as he shares his decision, with Arsenal also showing interest
Julian Alvarez, who’s still under contract with Atletico Madrid, has turned down a chance to return to his former club Manchester City, giving Arsenal a clearer idea about how likely it is he’ll come back to the Premier League.
The Argentine made the news recently when Atletico started their 2026-27 La Liga season, with Alvarez spotted looking a bit upset after the match.
At 26 years old, he’s one of Arsenal’s top targets this summer. But Alvarez seems to be dreaming of a move to La Liga rivals Barcelona, a transfer Atletico Madrid is actively blocking.
The current Spanish champions, who also won the league last season, already said no to a €100 million offer earlier this window. They’ve been very clear that they won’t do business with Barcelona, repeating their “0%” stance this week.
Manchester City, who sold Alvarez to Atletico Madrid in 2024 for over £80 million, recently tried to bring him back, which could have been his way out of Atletico. This was reported by Marca last Friday.
However, according to Cadena SER and shared by the Metro, Alvarez has “categorically rejected” the idea of returning to City, even before any official offer. This means Arsenal’s hopes are likely fading too, with an unexpected issue stopping his Premier League return.
All summer, Alvarez has been firm about not wanting to come back to the Premier League, even with tempting offers from Arsenal. Rumors have grown that Arsenal might be his best chance to leave Atletico, but he’s already turned down the North London club several times.
Arsenal, led by Mikel Arteta, won the Premier League last season and finished second in the Champions League, just behind PSG. They’ve strengthened the squad a lot this transfer window, but striker Viktor Gyokeres hasn’t started well, so they’re still looking for a key goalscorer.
Surprisingly, Alvarez isn’t refusing the Premier League just because of his hopes to join Barcelona. He’s also concerned about visa issues that could cause problems for his family visiting him in the UK—issues that don’t exist in Spain.
The public feud between Barcelona and Atletico over Alvarez’s future continues. Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta, recently said the club’s offer to buy him still stands and believes Alvarez wants to join them.
But Atletico’s CEO, Miguel Angel Gil Marin, hit back, calling Barcelona dishonest and saying they’re “repulsed” by their approach. He insisted again that Atletico won’t negotiate with Barcelona under any circumstances.
Alvarez, for whom Arsenal are willing to offer two first-team players to sign, was confirmed absent by Atletico’s manager Diego Simeone for this weekend’s game against Sevilla, as his future remains up in the air.