Manchester City reportedly made a late attempt to rival Arsenal for Julian Alvarez, but the striker declined their interest.
The Argentina international remains uncertain about his future, having failed to report for Atletico Madrid training for three consecutive days.
According to Cadena SER, Alvarez is prioritizing a move to Barcelona and remains firm on his desire to stay away from England.
The report indicates that Manchester City offered Alvarez the opportunity to return to the Etihad Stadium for a second stint, but he rejected the approach as he does not wish to come back to the Premier League.
Despite Arsenal’s top target turning down one of their rivals, the prospects for the Gunners still appear unfavorable.
Evaluating Julian Alvarez’s Value
While Alvarez is a top-tier talent who has proven himself at both Manchester City and Atletico Madrid, it is debatable whether he would significantly strengthen Arsenal or City.
Barcelona’s interest is understandable given their recent loss of Robert Lewandowski up front, as they require a prominent name to lead their line this season.
At Manchester City, Alvarez has historically struggled to secure a regular starting spot due to the dominance of Erling Haaland, who remains the undisputed first choice.
For Arsenal, there is a valid argument that Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz are sufficient as their attacking options for the current season.
Regardless of the criticism directed at Gyokeres and the hype surrounding Alvarez, the Swedish striker actually outscored him last season.
Gyokeres scored 21 goals across all competitions, compared to Alvarez’s 20, while Havertz has also impressed since returning from injury.
In total, Alvarez has accumulated 154 career goals, including 139 in 332 club appearances and 15 in 59 caps for Argentina.
While these statistics are commendable, they are arguably not so exceptional as to justify Arsenal investing heavily in this saga, especially when the player seems unwilling to join regardless.
