Julian Alvarez with Argentina ahead of the World Cup final (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)
There are perhaps some signs that Arsenal still have hope of signing Julian Alvarez in a hugely ambitious transfer deal this summer.
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The latest from Fabrizio Romano is that Barcelona, who have made Alvarez a dream target, have started looking for alternatives up front, which could point towards them giving up on landing the Argentina international.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said: “Barcelona have started internally at the moment, so president, director, coach, people at the club, started discussing alternative options if they can sign Julian Alvarez. So, Barcelona have started considering alternatives.”
This follows a few other reports also giving Arsenal some hope of still being in the race for Alvarez.
What’s being said about Arsenal and Julian Alvarez
Ben Jacobs has been quoted as saying not to rule out Arsenal yet, while Romano himself has also previously said that the Gunners will be one to watch in this story.
There is perhaps a more detailed explanation below, with Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth explaining that Arsenal have been waiting in the background in case Barca can’t get the deal done…
“Arsenal have been waiting in the background” ??
Could Arsenal challenge Barcelona to the singing of Julian Alvarez? ??? pic.twitter.com/weWBDV8f1o
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 17, 2026
Our understanding, meanwhile, is that Arsenal are keen on Alvarez and could be in a good position due to Atletico not being keen to sell to their La Liga rivals.
The challenge for now, however, is convincing the former Manchester City forward to come to the Emirates Stadium when his preferred choice remains Barcelona.
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It will be interesting to see if the situation changes, and if Alvarez perhaps pushes to leave Atletico, whether it’s for another Spanish club or a Premier League club.
That could perhaps convince…
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