Arsenal handed big boost in signing 25yo star as Barcelona can't afford £104m fee

Arsenal have been handed a big boost in their pursuit of Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez, with Barcelona unlikely to compete financially with them.

The Gunners bolstered their strike force with the signing of Viktor Gyokeres last summer. The Swede has had a slow start to his Arsenal career, but he has still netted nine goals in all competitions.

The club are planning to recruit another elite striker in the summer, and ESPN reported yesterday that informal enquiries have been made over the availability of Atletico’s Alvarez.

It was highlighted that it could take more than £87m to prise him away, and Sport (page 4) today claim that Diego Simeone’s side may not contemplate his sale for less than £104m.

Barcelona are among the Argentine’s big admirers, but the Spanish champions can’t afford him, and won’t make such a huge outlay amid their ongoing financial concerns with La Liga.

Arsenal have an advantage in Alvarez pursuit

Alvarez signed for Atletico from Manchester City in the summer of 2024. The Argentine joined for an initial £64m, with a further £17.5m in performance add-ons.

He had a brilliant debut season with the Madrid heavyweights, scoring 29 goals and providing eight assists from 57 games. The World Cup winner has not hit those heights this campaign.

The 25-year-old has managed 11 goals and five assists from 28 appearances thus far.

Still, he would be a good fit for manager Mikel Arteta’s style of play. He is good with the ball at his feet and has completed 22 passes per La Liga outing with an accuracy of 84 percent.

Alvarez is a mobile striker who likes to drop deep to link up play similar to Gabriel Jesus. He is also terrific with his movement in and around the box, and can create chances for his teammates too.

£104m should not prove a hefty fee for the Gunners, particularly on the back of a third-straight Champions League season and the extra revenue from the change of the competition format.

If Arsenal were to pursue a deal for Alvarez, Jesus could be the player to make way. The Brazilian is on the radar of AC Milan and Juventus, with his contract expiring at the end of next season.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com

The post Arsenal handed big boost in signing 25yo star as Barcelona can't afford £104m fee first appeared on ArsenalNews.co.uk.