Arsenal to repeat transfer trick with shock statement signing: report
Arsenal are looking to work their transfer market magic once more this summer
Arsenal are looking to repeat a trick in the transfer market that has previously worked wonders for them before, though it'll be a lot more difficult this time around.
In becoming genuine Premier League title contenders in the past two seasons, Arsenal have signed Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, David Raya, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
All of those signings have helped Mikel Arteta's side become a feared prospect in England, and the Spaniard is looking to do the exact same thing again this summer.
VIDEO: EA FC 25 Upgrades: slip passes, dribbling, pass accuracy, professional fouls
According to reports in Spain, as per TeamTalk, Arsenal are preparing an offer to sign Julian Alvarez from Manchester City, two years after taking Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus away from the Premier League champions.
Those two signings signalled Arsenal's intent in the battle for the Premier League, with the Gunners having run Manchester City close for the title on the past two occasions. They've fallen just short, but Alvarez could be the ideal signing to help them make the next step.
Alvarez has been the subject of intense transfer speculation in recent weeks, with the 24-year-old reportedly keen on leaving Manchester City in search of regular first team minutes. Atletico Madrid have been the side most heavily linked, but the latest report suggests that Arsenal - as well as Chelsea - have entered the battle for his signature.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
Arsenal would need to shell out around £77m for Alvarez to lure him away from Manchester City, a significant fee though not one that is beyond their capabilities. Plus, Alvarez has proven his ability in the last two seasons at the Etihad Stadium, though his path to the starting XI is somewhat blocked by Erling Haaland.
With Alvarez currently playing for Argentina at the Olympics, having just won the Copa America, the forward will inevitably be unavailable for the start of the new season. Arteta will have to factor that into his thinking, especially when considering Alvarez still has four years remaining on his contract.
In FourFourTwo's view, it seems unlikely that Arsenal will sign Alvarez this summer, though it's certainly worth them trying. The Argentine is one of the best players in his position in world football and would certainly get them even closer to trophies in the new campaign. The Athletic, however, reported last week that he would prefer to move to a warmer country, so staying in the Premier League doesn't look a likely proposition.
More Arsenal stories
Revealed: The top 10 highest-paid players in the Premier League
'Ricardo Calafiori is a real defender unlike Oleksandr Zinchenko': Former Arsenal defender makes BRUTAL assessment on Ukrainian - and even aims a dig at David Raya
Major Arsenal defender primed for exit, following agent twist: report
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.
‘Phil Neville tried a lot of different ideas to get the best out of the Lionesses, but things weren’t quite right and needed ironing out – that wasn’t his fault’: Former England women's star reflects on time with national team
‘Missing the Euros was one of the toughest moments of my career – I got into a good place mentally and physically with my form, then my body broke down’: England star reflects on agonising summer