Arsenal
Arsenal battle Chelsea for the ‘ideal’ Manchester City ace who will cost £77 million.
According to rumors, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Atletico Madrid are all interested in signing Manchester City attacker Julian Alvarez.
Alvarez has proven to be an excellent purchase for Manchester City since joining the club for £14 million in July 2022. The centre-forward has 36 goals and 18 assists in 103 games for City, helping Pep Guardiola’s team win titles like the Premier League (twice), Champions League, and FA Cup, among others.
Last season, Alvarez has 19 goals and 13 assists in 54 games. That’s an impressive record, but the Argentina international is disappointed that he won’t be City’s regular No. 9 while Erling Haaland remains at the club.
Additionally, City writer Sam Lee disclosed on Thursday that the athlete and his family intend to relocate to a warmer location in the near future.
DO NOT MISS: Arsenal ‘in talks’ to sign PSG player in stunning deal; second move for club-record sum virtually finalised.
In recent months, Atletico Madrid has been linked the most with Alvarez. Diego Simeone, their manager, sees him as an excellent prospective addition to Atleti’s attacking line.
And the Spanish giants are looking for a new striker after losing Spain captain Alvaro Morata to AC Milan lately.
According to the latest reports in the Spanish press, Atleti will have competition from the Premier League to sign Alvarez. Chelsea continues to monitor the 24-year-old after previously being connected with him, while Arsenal has also joined the chase.
Mikel Arteta sees Alvarez as the ‘ideal’ striker for Arsenal because he can score at least 20 goals per season, link up play excellently, and has plenty of top-level experience. Alvarez may be young, but he has won significant titles such as the Premier League, Champions League, World Cup, and Copa América.
Arsenal transfers: Arteta’s eyes Julian Alvarez
Arteta believes that adding Alvarez will enable wingers like Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli become even more lethal, as well as ensure that Arsenal finally beat City in the Premier League title fight.
Arsenal, Chelsea, and Atleti have also determined how much they will have to offer to sign Alvarez. According to Lee, City are looking for an initial sum of £60 million for the former River Plate star, plus a further £17 million.
A transfer at this price would result in a £63 million profit for City, though it is understandable that Guardiola’s team is seeking this given Alvarez’s potential to become one of the world’s top strikers.
Of course, Arsenal and Chelsea will need to launch massive charm offensives to persuade Alvarez to reject Atleti, since the player will be lured by the chance to move to a hotter country like Spain.
Arsenal have previously been linked with many other strikers, notably Joshua Zirkzee and Ivan Toney. Zirkzee has now joined Manchester United, while Tottenham Hotspur are in a better position to sign Toney.
Arsenal are currently considering a move for Alvarez or Sporting CP attacker Viktor Gyokeres. Arsenal’s interest in Gyokeres was revived on Wednesday, when he recovered from a knee injury.
According to reports, Arsenal will begin bidding for the goal machine between £55 and £60 million after finding that Sporting could be persuaded to sell for that amount. The Portuguese giants previously requested up to £80 million for Gyokeres, but the price has recently dropped to a more acceptable figure.