Atletico Madrid would rather sell Julian Alvarez to Arsenal than see the Argentine forward join Barcelona, according to reports circulating amid ongoing transfer speculation surrounding the striker.
Arsenal have monitored Alvarez for some time, having seriously weighed up a move for him last summer before ultimately opting to sign Viktor Gyokeres instead. Now, that earlier decision could prove significant in shaping the next chapter of Alvarez's career, with the Swedish forward potentially playing an indirect role in any switch to the Emirates Stadium.
Atletico have publicly maintained throughout the summer that they intend to keep Alvarez at the Wanda Metropolitano, resisting strong interest from La Liga rivals Barcelona. Both head coach Diego Simeone and chief executive Miguel Angel Gil have been vocal in stating that the player is not for sale.
Simeone addressed the situation directly when speaking to reporters on Tuesday, referencing comments from the club's ownership. "If the club owner has spoken so categorically, then there's nothing more to say," the Atletico boss said.
Despite that firm stance, uncertainty over Alvarez's future appears to be affecting his readiness for action, with suggestions that he is currently "not being in the right condition to play" as speculation continues to swirl around his situation.
According to The Guardian, Atletico have concluded that if they are forced into a sale, they would find it far easier to accept Alvarez moving to Arsenal rather than strengthening a direct domestic rival in Barcelona. That stance is said to give Mikel Arteta's side a notable edge, particularly as the Arsenal manager continues efforts to persuade Alvarez that a move north London would benefit his career going forward.
It has been reported that Arteta reached out to Alvarez personally earlier this week in a bid to sell him on the idea of joining Arsenal this summer, underlining the club's genuine interest in bringing him to the Premier League despite not being formally engaged in negotiations at this stage.
However, complicating matters is the fact that Alvarez himself is understood to still favor a return to Barcelona over any other suitor, with the Catalan club long viewed as his preferred destination amid the transfer saga. Barcelona, though, appear to have shifted their focus elsewhere after seemingly accepting they will not land the Argentine this summer.
El Chiringuito reported last week that Barcelona have turned their attention toward Gyokeres, the very player whose arrival at Arsenal originally prompted the Gunners to abandon their pursuit of Alvarez twelve months ago. Whether there is genuine substance to that link with the Swedish striker remains to be seen, but it adds another layer of intrigue to an increasingly tangled transfer situation involving three of Europe's biggest clubs.
For now, Standard Sport understands that Arsenal are not actively pursuing a deal for Alvarez, a stance influenced by Atletico's continued insistence that the forward will not be sold this summer. Nevertheless, with Atletico reportedly more open to a sale to Arsenal than to Barcelona, and with Arteta already making personal overtures to the player, the situation appears far from settled as the transfer window progresses.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport (standard-football).