Arsenal are planning for Julián Álvarez to play on the left wing if they manage to sign the Atlético Madrid forward, according to a new report, with Mikel Arteta already shaping the move around a specific role rather than the centre of the attack. The 26-year-old has been strongly linked with a switch to north London, and Football Transfers said early conversations have already taken place between the club and his representatives.
The report lands at a moment when Arsenal are still looking for more firepower even after signing Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP in the summer of 2025. Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta are understood to believe another top-class striker is still needed, and Álvarez’s record makes him an obvious headline target. He won the Premier League title twice, the FA Cup once and the Champions League once at Manchester City, and he has added a World Cup and two Copa América titles with Argentina.
Football Transfers said Arsenal do not plan on using Álvarez primarily through the middle of their attack. Instead, he is expected to arrive at the Emirates Stadium and fill the problem role on the left of the forward line. The North London side are known to be in the market for a solution in this area, with both Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli potentially up for sale this summer.
That need explains why the club continue to be linked with a move that would be expensive even by Arsenal standards. El Chiringuito TV reported late last month that Arsenal want at least €150million for Álvarez, while Spanish journalist Matias Palacios said Arteta has already spoken with the forward over a move to the Emirates Stadium. The figures underline how serious any pursuit would have to be, and how much of Arsenal’s summer planning is still unsettled.
There is also a wider squad picture behind the chatter. Kai Havertz has had injury issues in recent times, and Gabriel Jesus does not appear to have a long-term future at Arsenal. That leaves the club weighing up whether Gyokeres, Álvarez and a left-sided option could give Arteta enough flexibility across a season that demands depth as well as goals. Arsenal have also enquired about Mateus Fernandes, who is attracting interest from Liverpool and Manchester United, among other clubs, with Gabriel Agbonlahor saying the Portugal international midfielder would be a good signing for Arsenal.
For now, the clearest sign is not that Arsenal have completed a deal, but that they are defining what they would want from one. Álvarez is not being chased simply as another striker. He is being viewed as a forward who could solve a wider tactical problem, and that makes him one of the most intriguing names in the arsenal julian alvarez transfer news cycle.
