Arsenal Pursue Julián Álvarez as Osimhen Negotiations Begin

Arsenal have opened their Premier League title defence with a statement win – and immediately gone back to work on the squad.

Mikel Arteta’s side swept aside newly promoted Coventry City 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Friday night, looking sharp and ruthless in attack. Kai Havertz led the line, scored the opener and was backed up by Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard on the scoresheet.

It was controlled, it was convincing. It has not stopped Arsenal hunting for a new No. 9.

Arsenal’s last throw for Álvarez

Julián Álvarez remains at the heart of that search. The Argentine left Manchester City for Barcelona in 2024 and has been clear he does not want a return to English football, but Arsenal are still trying to change his mind.

According to Spanish outlet SPORT, Atletico Madrid – where Álvarez is currently playing – would prefer to sell him to Arsenal rather than strengthen direct La Liga rivals Barcelona. To make that happen, Arsenal are said to be ready to put a huge proposal on the table: Victor Gyökeres plus €80 million (£68m) for the 26-year-old.

On top of that, the report claims Arsenal are prepared to offer Álvarez an annual salary of €25m (£21m), a deal that would place him among the club’s top earners and, crucially, would roughly double his current wages. It is described as a last-ditch attempt to tempt him back to the Premier League despite his stated preference for Barcelona.

Arsenal’s stance is clear: even with Havertz, Saka and Ødegaard all on target in the opener, they want a headline centre-forward to anchor a title and Champions League push.

Osimhen lined up as Plan B

The recruitment drive does not stop with Álvarez. With no guarantee the Argentine can be prised away, Arsenal have moved to line up alternatives.

Foot Mercato report that the club have started negotiations with Galatasaray over Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian striker’s name has already featured in previous talks between the clubs, when the Turkish champions were trying to sign Ethan Nwaneri and Gabriel Martinelli.

Osimhen has been a dominant force in Turkey, firing Galatasaray to back-to-back league titles and re-establishing himself as one of Europe’s most feared forwards after his prolific spell at Napoli. That form has naturally attracted interest elsewhere, with Tottenham also credited with an eye on the 27-year-old.

Any deal, though, comes with a major financial hurdle. The report notes that Osimhen’s current salary of around £17.1m a year would be a significant obstacle and would almost certainly require the striker to accept a sizeable wage cut to make a move viable.

Arsenal have started the season with goals and momentum. The question now is whether they can add the elite striker Arteta wants before the window closes – and which of Álvarez or Osimhen, if either, will be leading the line when the title race turns serious.