Arsenal has a secret edge in the Julian Alvarez deal as the competition with Barcelona heats up.
Arsenal, the Champions League finalists and Premier League champions, are reportedly making a strong move to sign Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid. After their best season since 2003-04, Arsenal are eager to add top attacking players to keep their success going.
Alvarez, a World Cup winner, is one of Arsenal’s main targets. Atletico Madrid is expected to get a formal offer from the North London club soon. The Spanish team is said to be determined to block Barcelona’s interest, which could make a move back to the Premier League a real possibility for the Argentina forward.
Arsenal might have an edge over Barcelona, not just because Atletico prefer keeping Alvarez from Barca, but also due to the club’s history with him. According to the Evening Standard, Arsenal’s sporting director Andrea Berta, who joined Arsenal in May 2025, was involved in bringing Alvarez to Atletico two years ago. Berta worked closely with coach Diego Simeone during a successful time at Atletico, winning La Liga twice and the Europa League.
Arsenal’s interest in Alvarez goes back at least to last summer when they signed striker Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP. Now, after a long World Cup season for many players, Arsenal could push hard to bring Alvarez in to help compete on all fronts again.
Alvarez moved from River Plate to Manchester City at age 22 and spent some time on loan before playing two seasons in the Premier League. He scored 36 goals for City, including 20 in the league, and was part of their treble-winning team in 2022-23. He also scored three goals for Argentina at the 2022 World Cup. In two seasons at Atletico Madrid, Alvarez has scored 49 goals in 106 games across all competitions.