Arsenal have been handed a fresh boost in their pursuit of Julian Alvarez after Atletico Madrid’s stand-off with Barcelona over the Argentina striker escalated into open hostility on Wednesday.
According to Sky Sports News, Barcelona president Joan Laporta confirmed the Catalan club’s bid of just over £100m for Alvarez remains firmly on the table and could rise beyond €130m once the World Cup ends, while Atletico chief executive Miguel Gil Marin accused Barcelona of “disrespecting” his club amid a public row over the forward’s future. The exchange comes with Alvarez preparing to return from international duty with Argentina, and with Atletico adamant they will not sanction a sale to a direct La Liga rival.
Andrea Berta’s Old Ties Give Arsenal An Edge
Arsenal retain a watching brief on the saga, with sporting director Andrea Berta – who held the same role at Atletico before joining the Emirates Stadium hierarchy last year – tracking the situation. Sky in Italy’s Luca Bendoni reports that initial discussions have taken place between the clubs at ownership level, even as Alvarez’s own preference points toward Barcelona, a stance that has represented the main obstacle to any Arsenal move since talks first opened.
Real Madrid, who had a £130m bid rejected last month, remain in the picture too, but Atletico are understood to view Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain as more palatable buyers than Barcelona if Alvarez forces the issue. Talks are expected to resume only once his World Cup commitments end – the same ownership-level contact Arsenal opened directly with Atletico last week. Arteta’s side head into pre-season with Tzolis and Morgan Rogers also on the radar, giving him multiple routes to strengthening the forward line regardless of how the Alvarez saga concludes.
