Arsenal have made a decision on Julian Alvarez
After a relatively quiet opening to the summer window, Arsenal are finally starting to ramp up their recruitment drive.
They dramatically ended their 22-year wait for a Premier League trophy last season, and manager Mikel Arteta is determined to avoid any complacency by actively pushing for squad upgrades to keep the Gunners at the summit of English football.
Arsenal technically completed their first piece of summer business by securing defender Piero Hincapie on a permanent £34.5million deal from Bayer Leverkusen. While his signing was a major boost, it was more of a formality than a new addition, given the Ecuadorian had already spent the entirety of last season on loan in north London.
Andrea Berta, the Gunners’ sporting director, has been working diligently behind the scenes, tracking several priority targets and negotiating personal terms before committing to any official club-to-club bids. Rumours continue to swirl around Club Brugge winger Christos Tzolis—the prime candidate to replace Besiktas-bound Leandro Trossard— alongside Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and Georgian wonderkid Andria Bartishvili.
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For now, the only fresh face in the squad is former Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier, who put pen to paper on a free transfer last week. Here, football.london examines two transfer developments that would represent far more significant business.
Viktor Gyokeres swap was weighed up
Arsenal are said to have looked into the possibility of incorporating Viktor Gyokeres into a swap deal for Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez. The Swedish striker endured a mixed debut campaign in north London last term.
Although he netted 21 goals across all competitions and played his part in ending the Gunners’ 22-year wait for a title, his technical qualities were visibly below those of his team-mates, and he often faded in matches. Talksport now reports that the Swede could be used as a bargaining chip in an effort to bring Alvarez to N5.
According to the report, it remains to be seen whether any swap arrangement will come to fruition, as Arsenal are yet to decide if they want to offload Gyokeres, who was signed a year ago for £64million. While Atletico are interested in Gyokeres, discussions between the two clubs over Alvarez are said to still be at an exploratory stage rather than anywhere near an agreement.
Julian Alvarez tops wishlist
Arsenal have reportedly made the signing of Alvarez their primary objective this summer. The Gunners have been linked with Alvarez for several months, despite the Atletico Madrid star’s preference to move to Barcelona.
Atletico, however, have no desire to sell the Argentine to their La Liga rivals, having already rebuffed an £86m offer from the Catalans. They are understood to be far more open to the prospect of allowing him to join the Premier League champions.
BBC Sport has now reported that the Argentine, 26, is the Gunners’ primary target. The report claims that this places Alvarez ahead of the likes of Morgan Rogers, who is regarded as a top versatile attacking option, and Bradley Barcola, who is considered an out-and-out winger.
Any potential move for either Alvarez or Rogers is expected to materialise only once their respective World Cup campaigns conclude this week.
Reports from other outlets have claimed Arteta holds Alvarez in the highest regard, with Argentine publication Clarin Deportivo claiming Arsenal are “following every movement” and will position themselves as a serious alternative should Barcelona fail to reach an agreement.
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