Henry's praise for Alvarez strengthens Arsenal's case as £117m Barcelona bid looms

Arsenal are exploring a summer move for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez as Barcelona prepare a reported £117 million bid for the Argentina international, intensifying the race for one of Europe’s most coveted forwards.

Alvarez, 26, joined Atletico from Manchester City for £82 million and has since delivered two prolific seasons in Spain. Despite his preference for a move to Barcelona, Atletico are said to favour selling him to Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain — a dynamic that could work in the Gunners’ favour as Mikel Arteta looks to upgrade his attack ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has repeatedly singled out Alvarez for praise. Appearing on the Rio Ferdinand Presents show, Henry was discussing Harry Kane when he turned his attention to the Atletico striker. “I like Julian Alvarez,” Henry said. “I like nines that can do virtually everything.”

Henry made similarly enthusiastic remarks a year earlier on the Stick to Football podcast: “One of my favourite nines out there at the minute is Julian Alvarez. He can hold the ball alone, he played at the Olympic Games, he played in the Copa America. I don’t hear him saying, ‘I’m tired.’ He’s played everything and the way he plays, I just like him.”

Alvarez’s versatility is central to Arsenal’s interest. Unlike Viktor Gyokeres — who operates as a more traditional centre-forward — Alvarez can play across the front line, fitting the kind of multi-functional profile Arteta has consistently sought in his squad-building.

The Gunners are also monitoring other attacking options, including Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, PSG winger Bradley Barcola, and Club Brugge’s Christos Tzolis, suggesting Arteta is casting a wide net as he looks to build on Arsenal’s Premier League title win.

Arsenal co-chair Josh Kroenke indicated the club are ready to invest. “We’ve already had a few conversations about different areas that we think we can improve — both on and off the pitch,” Kroenke told NBC Sports. “We are looking forward to getting that going this summer.”