Julian Alvarez has U-turned on a proposed move to Arsenal and is beginning to see it as his ‘only option’ before this summer’s transfer deadline, according to reports in Spain.
Arsenal have set their sights on securing a last-ditch deal for the 26-year-old Atletico Madrid striker, with Mikel Arteta eager to add further strength and a genuine goalscoring threat to his title-winning attack.
The Gunners have already seen Morgan Rogers snub a switch to the Emirates to join bitter rivals Chelsea, while Vinicius Junior opted to turn down the club’s advances to extend his stay at Real Madrid.
It has seen Alvarez move rapidly to the forefront of Arsenal’s thinking in the last remaining week of the window, despite the forward’s clear preference being Barcelona for much of the summer.
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However, according to Madrid-based newspaper Marca, Alvarez has come to accept that Atleti will stand in the way of his ‘dream’ move to the Camp Nou and he now sees Arsenal as his only feasible escape route out of the Metropolitano Stadium.
After being named as a substitute against Villarreal at the weekend, Alvarez was jeered by his own fans while warming up on the touchline – and these boos ratcheted up to a deafening degree when he was introduced in place of Lee Kang-in in the 66th minute.
The former Manchester City man proceeded to head straight down the tunnel as the contest finished 2-2 – intensifying the level of animosity amongst Atleti supporters – and he had already left before his team-mates could even make their way to the dressing room.
The report claims the sorry episode has brought Atleti’s dwindling hopes of reaching a resolution with Alvarez’s camp to bed and the situation has prompted the Argentina international to focus his attentions on Arsenal ‘for the first time’.
Perhaps tellingly, Alvarez’s family were not in attendance on Sunday despite the fact they have been near ever-present throughout his two-year stay in the Spanish capital.
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The 2022 World Cup winner also took no part in first-team training on Wednesday, informing club officials that he had endured a bad night’s sleep and was in no condition to complete the session.
Separate reports emanating out of Spain earlier on Wednesday claimed Alvarez had – until that point – been giving Arsenal the cold shoulder, even declining a phone call from head coach Mikel Arteta.
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But the dramatic turn of events appears to have provided a glimmer of hope for the north London giants, who have already signed Bruno Guimaraes, Ezri Konsa Christos Tzolis and free agent Illan Meslier this summer.
