David Ornstein has finally broken his silence on the ongoing Julian Alvarez to Arsenal transfer saga, suggesting that the player is still not keen to join.
Speaking on TNT Sports, Ornstein stressed that this situation could still change, but that for the moment the message from Alvarez to Mikel Arteta is that he doesn’t want the move to the Emirates Stadium.
See below for Ornstein’s update on the Alvarez saga, as he described what sounds like a pretty negative picture for Arsenal by suggesting they might just stick with what they’ve got for now instead of making other late moves…
“He’s spoken to Mikel Arteta and said he doesn’t want to come.” ?@David_Ornstein with the latest on Arsenal’s pursuit of Julian Alvarez.
?? @OliviaBuzaglo | ? Watch live on TNT Sports & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/VEYpXGynEq
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 29, 2026
Want more CaughtOffside coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust
Alvarez is clearly the top target for Arsenal and they’re ready to pay whatever it takes to sign him from Atletico Madrid.
It seems the issue remains, however, that the Argentina international is reluctant to make the move back to England.
Julian Alvarez celebrates a goal for Atletico Madrid against Barcelona (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
Arsenal target Matias Fernandez-Pardo as Julian Alvarez alternative
Our understanding is that Arsenal are yet to receive a clear response from Alvarez, but are exploring Lille forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo as an alternative.
The Belgium international wants to leave Lille and is also a target for Newcastle United, but Arsenal could still get involved.
More Stories / Latest News
One imagines if there is a definite no from Alvarez soon, then AFC will move on to targeting Fernandez-Pardo instead, with the talented 21-year-old available for around £60m.
Interested clubs have previously seen that as a bit high, but Arsenal can’t afford to be too picky now as they surely need a replacement for Gabriel Martinelli, who is closing in on joining Al Hilal.