Arsenal Revives Julian Alvarez Pursuit on Deadline Day

Arsenal’s long chase for Julian Alvarez has flickered back into life on Deadline Day, with the Atletico Madrid forward now said to be softening his stance on a switch to London.

Mikel Arteta has pushed hard for the 26-year-old all summer, viewing the Argentine as a dream addition to his attack. The pursuit cooled earlier in August when the Gunners turned their attention to Vinicius Jr, only for that move to fall away and talks over Alvarez to quietly resume last week.

Up to that point, the picture looked bleak for Arsenal. Alvarez wants out of Atletico, but only, it seemed, for one club. He has made no secret of the fact that Barcelona is his “dream” destination, and The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported that he had already informed Arteta he did not want to join the Gunners.

Now the story has shifted.

According to TEAMtalk, Arsenal are working behind the scenes to strip away as many barriers as possible to a move to north London, and Alvarez is now said to be open to the idea of relocating to the capital. The preference, though, comes with a condition: he wants members of his extended family, who currently live with him in Madrid, to move with him.

That demand brings its own complications. Visas. Housing. The practical realities of uprooting a wider family from Spain to England. Arsenal, for their part, are understood to be across those details and ready to help engineer a smooth transition if a deal can be struck.

There is another twist. To tempt Alvarez further, Arsenal are believed to be willing to discuss a so‑called “Barcelona clause” in any agreement. Such a provision could give the striker a defined pathway to the Catalan club at a later date, while allowing Arsenal to secure his services now.

For the Gunners, it would be a calculated gamble: sign the player Arteta wants, accept that Barcelona may come calling down the line, and back themselves to make London feel like home before that day arrives.