Arsenal Football Club is keeping a close eye on the delicate relationship between Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez and manager Pep Guardiola, according to a report by the UK-based Mirror. The development could provide Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with an opportunity to poach his old boss Manchester City, despite the challenge of a hefty transfer fee for such a deal.
Alvarez has previously said that he will make a decision on his future after the Olympics. Guardiola, on the other hand, has publicly stated that he will not stop any unhappy player from leaving the team. This stance provides a window for potential buyers such as Arsenal to potentially make an offer at the right time.
However, City's asking price for Alvarez is quite high and according to the Mirror, counting the floating fee, City's bid comes to £80 million. This is undoubtedly a huge expense for Arsenal, but it's not as if Arsenal don't have a way to solve their financial problems. If Arsenal can successfully sell players such as Nketiah and Nelsen, they may be able to raise enough money to make an offer to Manchester City.
Arsenal have already invested £70 million in bringing in players such as Carafiore and Raya this summer and had no intention of investing any more heavily in reinforcements. But the emergence of Alvarez could change that plan. The 24-year-old Argentinean international performed well in all competitions last season, making 54 appearances, scoring 19 goals and delivering 13 assists, and his technical characteristics and age advantage are in line with Arsenal's reinforcement needs.
In addition, Alvarez has attracted the attention of several European giants such as Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid. This makes Arsenal face fierce competition in pursuing him. However, Arsenal have Arteta, a manager who knows Manchester City's tactical system like the back of his hand, which may give them a certain advantage in the negotiations.
