Arsenal ready to tempt Atletico Madrid with two-player package to land Alvarez ahead of United and Chelsea

Arsenal are preparing to sweeten their pursuit of Julian Alvarez with a swap arrangement involving two of their own forwards, according to fresh reports, as they attempt to outmanoeuvre Manchester United and Chelsea for the Atletico Madrid striker.

The 25-year-old Argentine has grown restless in the Spanish capital, with intermediaries having made contact with a select group of clubs on his behalf. Alvarez has notched seven goals and three assists across 21 La Liga outings this term, and while both United and Chelsea have tabled formal proposals, the Gunners are believed to have emerged as the frontrunners.

Barcelona represents Alvarez's preferred destination, yet their well-documented financial constraints render such a switch virtually impossible. Instead, PSG, Chelsea, and Arsenal have all been approached as realistic alternatives.

Arsenal's hierarchy has already given serious consideration to bringing the forward to North London, with scouting missions conducted over the past fortnight demonstrating their genuine interest in the matter. The club are now assessing the mechanics required to orchestrate a deal.

Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli have both been flagged as potential makeweights in negotiations, with both strikers having attracted exit speculation in recent months. Sources suggest Arsenal would sanction departures for either player during this window, and the prospect of bundling one into a package for Alvarez has already been explored internally.

Gary Lineker has weighed in on the speculation, suggesting Alvarez's arrival would fundamentally alter the Premier League landscape. Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, the former Tottenham and England striker highlighted Arsenal's goal-scoring concerns, particularly following Victor Gyokeres' disappointing start since his summer move from Sporting CP.

"They haven't got anyone regularly delivering the goods in front of goal," Lineker explained. "Jesus has chipped in with a goal or two since his return, but there's a reason they felt compelled to recruit a new centre-forward last summer."

He praised Jesus's application and work rate while noting the striker's inconsistency, describing him as a confidence player prone to hot and cold spells. Lineker acknowledged the Alvarez link carries the hallmark of social media rumour-mongering, but stressed the calibre of the player in question.

"He's a World Cup winner, and that's the breed of player who thrives when it matters most," Lineker said. "Get someone of that pedigree into Arsenal and you're looking at a completely different proposition. That would be game over for everyone else."

However, he concluded that Arsenal's immediate priority must be extracting consistent performances from their existing attacking options.