“It’s normal” – Manager not surprised Arsenal want to sign his star
by Naveen Ullal · Sport WitnessArsenal are among the clubs pursuing Atlético Madrid star Julián Alvarez ahead of the summer.
Over the past few weeks, the Spanish and the French media regularly covered Arsenal, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain as the striker’s suitors.
On April 13th, Sport Witness covered claims from France of Arsenal making an offer for the 26-year-old, without mentioning the details.
A week later, we relayed news from Spain that Mikel Arteta’s side and PSG are tempting him. However, the Argentina international prefers a move to Barcelona after this season.
The Gunners can take a closer look at him in the Champions League semifinal against Los Rojiblancos. The first leg will take place in the Spanish capital on Wednesday.
There were doubts about the World Cup winners’ involvement. However, that’s no longer the case and he will be available to face Arsenal.
Simeone responds to Arsenal links
Ahead of tomorrow’s clash, Atlético manager Diego Simeone and Koke spoke at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday. El Chiringuito took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to relay the coach’s comments.
When asked about the claims of interest from the Premier League side, Simeone has also talked about PSG and Barcelona.
“It’s normal that a player like Julián is wanted by Arsenal, PSG and Barca,” he said.
In short, the north London club wanting to sign a player of Julián Alvarez’s calibre doesn’t surprise Simeone. The Gunners or any other club would have to spend big to secure this impressive signing in the next window.
Contract, value, stats and agent info
Julián Alvarez has enjoyed regular minutes and also impressed for the La Liga side since joining them from Manchester City in August 2024.
To put it in context, he scored 48 goals and contributed 17 assists from 102 matches for Atlético Madrid. This includes 19 goals and nine assists from 47 matches this season.
His La Liga stats this season are as follows:
- Appearances: 29
- Starts: 22
- Total minutes: 1,902
- Minutes per game: 66
- Goals: 8
- Assists: 4
With a contract expiring in 2030, Transfermarkt value him at €90m and agent Fernando Hidalgo represents the attacker.