TERMS AGREED: Arsenal agree transfer fee to sign a striker who’s better than Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe combined
Arsenal are reported to be the club ‘bidding hardest’ for an Atletico Madrid superstar who sporting director Andrea Berta wants to prise from his former club.
The Gunners have finished second in the Premier League for three seasons on the trot now. Manchester City beat them to the title in the first of those two campaigns, before Liverpool surged past them this term.
If the Reds can make up ground quickly, there’s no reason Arsenal can’t, but they’re looking to sign a star striker to help their title hopes.
Indeed, neither Kai Havertz nor Gabriel Jesus are elite strikers, and both were injured for long periods last term. The Gunners have been linked with some big names up top, and Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez is the latest.
El Chiringuito revealed of late that Arsenal, Liverpool and Bayern Munich all want the Argentine forward, who’s played just one season in Madrid, and meetings with those clubs are set to begin this week.
A follow-up report from Marca suggests that the Gunners are doing their best to be the side who lands Alvarez. It’s stated the north London club are ‘bidding hardest’ for Alvarez.
Arsenal sporting director Berta is leading the charge for the striker. He signed Alvarez for Atletico last summer, and after 29 goals and seven assists this season, he knows what he can bring to a side.
As such, Berta has included the striker in his priority target list. It is stated that while Alvarez knows the Premier League, he is happy at Atletico.
With that said, the Spanish club knows that Arsenal and other English sides can offer a higher salary than they can. At the moment, Atletico are not planning to put a barrier between interested sides and Alvarez by offering him improved terms.
Indeed, he has only been at the club for a year, has a contract until 2030, and out-earns all but six players in the Atletico squad.
Whether an English side such as Arsenal would be able to convince him away with the lure of big money remains to be seen.
If they can’t, they have a number of other top strikers on their radar who might be more likely to say yes to joining them.
