Arsenal Pursue Julian Alvarez, Ready to Sacrifice Gyokeres

Arsenal are pushing hard to land Julian Alvarez – and are ready to sacrifice Viktor Gyokeres to get him.

With the transfer window ticking down, Mikel Arteta is still chasing a new No.9, and Alvarez remains the name at the top of his list. Links to Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen linger in the background, but the focus is clear: Arsenal want Alvarez to spearhead their title defence and Champions League charge.

Arsenal ready to cash in on Gyokeres

Gyokeres only arrived from Sporting last summer in a £55 million deal and hit 21 goals in all competitions. Under most circumstances, that return would cement his place.

Arsenal see it differently.

The feeling inside the club is that, to make the final jump in Europe and stay ahead in the Premier League, they need a different profile of striker – a world-class all-rounder at the very top level. That is where Alvarez comes in.

According to Spanish outlet Diario Sport, Arsenal have now tabled a swap proposal to Atletico Madrid that would send Gyokeres the other way. The offer is said to include Gyokeres plus around £68.5 million in cash for the Argentina international.

It would mean Arsenal effectively walking away from their £55m investment in Gyokeres after just one season, such is their conviction that Alvarez is the upgrade they need.

Barcelona desire meets Atletico resistance

Alvarez has made it clear that Barcelona is his preferred next destination. That has not changed. The problem lies on the other side of the table.

Atletico do not want to strengthen a direct LaLiga rival and are deeply reluctant to sell to Barca. On top of that, Barcelona’s ongoing financial issues make a £100m-plus move extremely difficult. Even if they find a way to raise funds, Atletico’s stance gives Arsenal a clear opening.

That is where the London club are trying to strike. Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has already reported that talks over a possible deal have taken place in London, and the latest claims from Spain suggest those discussions have moved up a gear.

The report adds that Alvarez’s “head has turned” towards Emirates Stadium, aware that Atletico are unwilling to deal with Barcelona. With Arsenal ready to pay big and include Gyokeres, the path to the Premier League looks far more realistic than a Camp Nou move.

Financially, there would be no stumbling block. Alvarez is expected to double his wages if an agreement is reached, a package Arsenal are prepared to meet and Atletico would find hard to match elsewhere.

The missing piece in Arteta’s puzzle?

Arsenal opened their Premier League campaign with a commanding 3-0 win over Coventry on Friday night, a performance that underlined the strength of Arteta’s squad across the pitch.

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville watched that display and could not help but imagine Alvarez dropped into the middle of it all.

“We think that Alvarez wants to go to Barcelona, but if Arsenal could get Alvarez somehow that is going to light this place up, because then you have a world class striker to go with all the other world class defenders and midfield players,” he said.

“They’d become not just Premier League title winners, but you’re then thinking that they can go that extra step and win the Champions League as well.

“He does need that little bit of magic up front that when you don’t play well they’ll go and win a big game for you.

“Has he got enough of that? I’m not sure.”

Neville’s question hangs over the whole chase. Alvarez is proven at the highest level, but Arsenal are gambling that he is the man to turn narrow European nights and tight title run-ins in their favour.

For now, the deal rests on Atletico’s willingness to take Gyokeres and cash rather than hold out for a Barcelona bid that may never fully materialise.

Arsenal return to Premier League action on August 31 away at Aston Villa, where Ezri Konsa is set to face his former club. By then, Arteta will hope the debate is no longer about whether he needs a striker – but about how quickly Alvarez can turn a powerful team into a dominant one.