Julian Alvarez softens Arsenal stance ahead of deadline day

Arsenal may have received some encouragement in their pursuit of Julian Alvarez, with the Atletico Madrid striker reportedly no longer completely ruling out a move to the Emirates.

The Argentine has been linked with the Gunners throughout the summer, but his preference for Barcelona has seemingly been a major obstacle to Arsenal making further progress.

However, with the transfer window closing at 11pm on September 1 and a move to Barcelona becoming increasingly complicated, Alvarez’s position towards Arsenal may now be beginning to soften.

Alvarez no longer completely rules out Arsenal

According to Spanish newspaper AS, Alvarez still prioritises a move to Barcelona and his previous ‘no’ to Arsenal remains in place. Crucially, though, the report adds that he has not completely forgotten about the possibility of joining the English champions.

That potentially leaves the door open for Arsenal should his preferred move fail to materialise before the deadline.

Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta are reported to have maintained frequent contact with the forward, who is said to have appreciated Arsenal’s interest.

The Standard has gone further by positioning Arsenal as frontrunners for his signature amid suggestions that the relationship between Alvarez and Atletico has become increasingly strained.

Alvarez was absent from Atletico’s opening La Liga victory over Malaga, with Diego Simeone saying before the match that the striker was “not in condition to play in this match.”

Despite all the speculation, Atletico have continued to publicly insist that Alvarez will not be leaving.