Arsenal Keep Faith in Alvarez Pursuit as Barcelona's Financial Woes Offer Opening

Arsenal are keeping up their chase for Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez this summer, refusing to accept that Barcelona have a clear run at the Argentine striker, according to reports.

The Gunners splashed out roughly £64m to bring in Viktor Gyokeres last summer, finally addressing their long-standing need for a centre-forward. Yet the Sweden international's campaign has drawn mixed responses—18 goals across all competitions is respectable enough, but some Gunners supporters have grown frustrated with his contributions beyond the scoresheet, questioning his effectiveness when he's not finding the net.

This apparent unease has sparked speculation that Arsenal could be hunting for a rival option for the 27-year-old or potentially even an outright replacement. Alvarez, the Argentina international at Atletico, sits high on their wishlist, though Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are also circling.

Earlier whispers suggested Alvarez might snub Arsenal in favour of the Catalan club due to his Manchester City connections. But TEAMtalk's reporting indicates the Gunners are far from throwing in the towel. Alvarez's representatives remain locked in negotiations with Barcelona, yet they've made their position crystal clear to the Spanish outfit: this cannot drag on indefinitely.

Barcelona's chronic financial squeeze could prove Arsenal's best ally here. The Catalans are already wrestling with their ability to fund a €30m swoop for Rashford, leaving them potentially hamstrung in any pursuit of Alvarez.

According to TEAMtalk, the Argentine is "more than open" to moves to Paris or London, with his camp stressing to the outlet that departing Spain represents a genuine possibility rather than mere posturing. Talks continue with PSG, Arsenal, and Chelsea in parallel.

Atletico boss Diego Simeone acknowledged the interest publicly this week, telling reporters: "I'm not inside Julian Alvarez's head. But it's normal that an extraordinary player like Julian Alvarez is wanted by Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona."

Former Arsenal striker Jeremie Aliadiere has backed Alvarez as an ideal fit for Mikel Arteta's setup. Speaking to Aceodds.com, Aliadiere said: "Alvarez will be a great fit because he is that player, but can also play as a nine. He will go and press with a Martin Ødegaard next to him. I want to see great players at the club, and he's a top player and proven when he won the World Cup."