Arsenal hold hidden advantage in Julian Alvarez deal as battle with Barcelona ramps up

Champions League finalists and Premier League champions Arsenal are understood to be pushing hard to sign Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid.

Arsenal have high hopes of building on their most successful season since 2003-04 and adding top-notch attacking options will be key to their ability to harness their success.

World Cup winner Alvarez has emerged as one of the Gunners' primary targets, with Atleti reportedly poised for a formal approach from the North London club.

With the Rojiblancos understood to be willing to resist the advances of Barcelona at all costs, the prospect of the Argentina forward heading back to the Premier League instead appears to have real potential.

That preference at the Metropolitano might not be the only one Arsenal hold when it comes to beating out Barca for the 26-year-old.

"The Gunners could reignite their interest in Alvarez, who is expected to leave the Spanish capital this summer, two years after joining from Manchester City in a deal worth around £81million," reports the Evening Standard.

"It was Arsenal sporting director, Andrea Berta, who negotiated that move a year before leaving Atleti for north London."

Former banker Berta joined Atletico Madrid after working at Parma and Genoa, enjoying a successful spell in Spain alongside head coach Diego Simeone.

Atleti won La Liga in 2013-13 and 2020-21, and the Europa League in between.

Berta replaced Edu as Arsenal's sporting director in May 2025 and can claim some credit for the Gunners' first Premier League title for more than two decades.

Arsenal's interest in Alvarez is known to date back at least to last summer, when the Gunners' quest for a striker finally landed them Sporting CP goal machine Viktor Gyokeres.

Reports suggest they could now go all out to add the Argentinian in an effort to battle on four fronts again after a long World Cup summer for many of their players.

A dangerous goalscorer with Premier League experience

Alvarez was 22 when he signed for Man City from Buenos Aires giants River Plate, where he remained for a spell on loan before two seasons in the Premier League.

The forward, who scored three times for Argentina on the way to glory at World Cup 2022, went on to make more than 100 appearances for City in all competitions.

He scored 36 goals, including 20 in total in the Premier League. He was part of Pep Guardiola's treble-winning team in 2022-23.

In two seasons in Spain, Alvarez has scored 49 goals in 106 matches in all competitions.