Arsenal may have been defeated in the Carabao Cup final by Manchester City on Sunday, but that’s not to say that they’re not the favourites to win the Premier League and one of the top contenders for the Champions League.
In spite of being more than likely to win a major piece of silverware in the next couple of months, Mikel Arteta remains keen on rebuilding his key, particularly in offence and the board is expected to oblige the manager’s request.
Caught Offside has reported that Arsenal have already gotten work underway for a major summer signing having scouted Julian Alvarez when Atletico Madrid played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Champions League last weekend.
Besides the Gunners, the source has claimed that Chelsea were also in attendance. The Blues have room for improvement in offence and in spite of Joao Pedro’s performances, Alvarez’s signing could be fruitful given his versatility.
PL return a strong possibility for Alvarez
Julian Alvarez has been Atletico Madrid’s best player this season with 17 goals and nine assists in all competitions, but Diego Simeone’s side has struggled to compete with Barcelona and Real Madrid for titles in recent years.
With that said, Alvarez revealed a few weeks ago that he does not guarantee remaining at Atletico next season and a return to the Premier League remains a strong possibility for the Argentine international, who previously played for Manchester City.
Alvarez is valued at £78 million on Transfermarkt but could cost higher, and although Barcelona have been heavily linked with him in recent months, Atletico are likely to want to sell him to an overseas club rather than strengthen a domestic rival.
Chelsea can offer Alvarez better money and a longer contract compared to Arsenal, along with assurances over his role, but the Gunners have a more convincing sporting project, so both London rivals have the upper hand in their own ways.
It will be interesting to see if Alvarez himself is open to returning to the Premier League this year or prefers joining Barcelona.
