Arsenal have endured a mixed summer transfer window, with progress made in some areas but questions remaining about the quality and depth of their attacking options.
Mikel Arteta’s side have secured some impressive additions, with Christos Tzolis impressing in a creative Community Shield display and Bruno Guimaraes arriving as a world-class centre-midfielder to bolster the engine room.
Ezri Konsa is also expected to arrive from Aston Villa, giving the Premier League champions further defensive reinforcement as they prepare to defend their title.
Despite those additions, the Gunners are still considered short of the firepower needed to dominate at the very top of the Premier League for a sustained period.
The ghost of Alexis Sanchez looms large over any conversation about Arsenal’s attacking ambition, with the Chilean having produced some of the most electric performances seen at the Emirates during his time under Arsene Wenger.
Former Barcelona teammate Xavi once described Sanchez as “one of the best attacking players in the world”, and it is hard to argue that any of Arteta’s current forwards have reached those same heights.
Arsenal signed Sanchez from Barcelona for £35m in 2014, with the forward rejecting Liverpool in the process before going on to deliver remarkable numbers across four seasons in north London.
Mesut Ozil, another iconic figure from that era, arrived from Real Madrid for £42.4m in 2013, breaking Arsenal’s transfer record and establishing himself as one of the most gifted playmakers the club has ever seen.
Technical director Andrea Berta now appears ready to replicate that formula by signing a major star from Spanish football, with Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez firmly in his sights ahead of the transfer deadline.
According to TEAMtalk, Arsenal are looking to close a deal worth £100m or more for the Argentine, though Alvarez is currently prioritising a potential move to Barcelona, meaning the Gunners must wait for that situation to resolve itself.
Atletico are reported to be open to doing business with Arsenal and have shown interest in exploring whether Viktor Gyokeres or Gabriel Jesus could be included as part of any agreement.
Alvarez has developed into an out-and-out centre-forward under Diego Simeone at Atletico, retaining much of the versatility and flair that previously attracted Pep Guardiola’s attention at Manchester City.
Since joining Atletico from Man City, he has posted 49 goals and 17 assists across 106 games in all competitions, with pundit Karen Carney hailing him as “the most complete centre-forward in football.”
While he managed only eight La Liga goals last season, Alvarez started just 22 matches, and his combined tally of 25 league goals across two seasons in Spain underlines his consistent threat in front of goal.
Missing just 15 big chances across those two seasons further illustrates the clinical efficiency that makes him such an attractive proposition for a club of Arsenal’s ambitions.
The parallels with previous landmark signings are difficult to ignore, given that both Ozil and Sanchez were secured from Spanish giants and transformed into key figures at the Emirates almost immediately.
Ozil provided creative brilliance rather than goals, but his arrival nonetheless represented a statement of intent from a club determined to reclaim their place among England’s elite.
An Alvarez deal would carry similar weight, particularly given the record-breaking fee involved and the calibre of competition Arsenal would be beating to land his signature.
Whether Berta and Arsenal can get the deal done before the window closes will likely depend on how quickly Barcelona’s interest either materialises or fades entirely.