Alvarez reverses Barcelona stance as Arsenal renew £100m pursuit ahead of January window

Julian Alvarez has reportedly reversed his position on a move to Arsenal and is now open to joining the Premier League champions in January, according to TEAMtalk, with the Gunners having already held detailed discussions with the 26-year-old’s camp.

Arsenal spent the entire summer willing to pay more than £100 million for the Atletico Madrid forward, only for Alvarez to reject their advances and insist his only destination was Barcelona. Atletico blocked that switch to their La Liga rivals, and Alvarez was subsequently booed by sections of the Atletico support — yet he still chose to remain in Madrid rather than pursue a move to north London.

That decision has done little for his form. Alvarez has yet to score a goal this season, and TEAMtalk report he is now unhappy with the prospect of continuing at Atletico long term. His path to Barcelona has also narrowed considerably, with the Catalan club reportedly weighing a move for Erling Haaland — a development Alvarez is said to be aware of and which would effectively close off that option.

Following those recent discussions with his representatives, Arsenal have emerged as Alvarez’s first-choice alternative destination. The Gunners are now preparing a fresh approach for the January transfer window.

One avenue Arsenal explored during the summer was a swap deal involving Viktor Gyokeres or Noni Madueke. With neither player having featured prominently in Mikel Arteta’s plans so far this season, the club may look to include one or both in a renewed offer to Atletico.

Arsenal sit second in the Premier League heading into Saturday’s home fixture against Leeds United, having suffered a 3-0 defeat to Brighton in their most recent league outing. Arteta, who recently signed a new contract keeping him at the club until 2030, will be eager to strengthen his attacking options as the club looks to defend the title it won last season.