Gunners hit by devastating blow as Romano sidekick reveals £104m striker's big decision

Arenal have seen their dreams of signing Julian Alvarez this summer shattered after one of Fabrizio Romano’s close allies revealed the Atletico Madrid striker only had eyes on one move, despite a former Gunners star admitting his £104m signing could take Mikel Arteta’s side to the next level.

The Argentina striker is strongly fancied to leave Atletico Madrid this summer, just two years after arriving in a €95m (£81.8m, $110m) move from Manchester City.

Having scored 49 goals and added 17 assists in his 106 appearances for the Rojoblancos, Alvarez has established himself as one of world football’s most feared frontmen, with a record of a G/A every 1.77 appearances for the Spanish giants.

As TEAMtalk exclusively revealed way back in January, Arsenal chief Andrea Berta had held what sources described as ‘discreet talks’ with Alvarez’s camp over a potential return to the Premier League this summer.

And while Chelsea are among those that had looked into a deal as well, their failure to claim a place in next season’s Champions League is likely to kibosh any hopes they had of bringing the 26-year-old to Stamford Bridge.

However, Arsenal will not have a straight path to his signature, with PSG also expressing interest in the 2022 World Cup winner, while Barcelona – saying a fond farewell to Robert Lewandowski this summer – are long-time admirers of the striker too.

In light of that, Italian journalist and Romano sidekick, Matteo Moretto, has insisted that Alvarez has sent a clear message ahead of the summer, with an 11-word verdict on where he wants to play next.

“If I leave Atletico Madrid, it will only be to Barcelona.”

Speaking to Catalunya Radio, Moretto added that Barcelona are now planning to accelerate their interest in the Argentina international, though are not likely to enter any bidding war against either Arsenal or PSG, owing to their tight financial limitations.

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Despite that, our transfer correspondent Graeme Bailey is adamant the Gunners will not simply walk away from a potential deal.

Off the back of that, TEAMtalk understands that Barcelona simply do not currently possess the financial flexibility required to complete a package likely to hit £104million (€120m, $140m).

Sources indicate Barcelona’s interest has not disappeared entirely, but any realistic move may now need to wait until 2027. That delay is not considered ideal by Alvarez’s camp, which comes as a significant boost to Arsenal and PSG.

TEAMtalk can confirm Paris Saint-Germain are aggressively positioning themselves to try and land Alvarez ahead of Arsenal.

PSG are understood to view the Argentine as one of the elite-level attacking profiles capable of leading their next phase under their evolving sporting project.

However, as previously revealed, Arsenal are open to discussing a deal involving Gabriel Martinelli and others as part of a package.

Meanwhile, PSG are understood to be evaluating whether Goncalo Ramos could be included in talks with Atletico as they attempt to gain an edge in negotiations.

In light of the recent speculation, former Arsenal striker Jeremie Aliadiere insists Alvarez is exactly the sort of player the Gunners need to reach the next level.

Aliadiere told Aceodds.com: “Alvarez will be a great fit because he is that player, but can also play as a nine. He will go and press with a Martin Odegaard next to him.

“I want to see great players at the club, and he’s a top player and proven when he won the World Cup.”

When asked about speculation suggesting Atleti could sell Alvarez, the club’s no-nonsense manager, Diego Simeone, said recently: “I’m not inside Julian Alvarez’s head.

“It’s normal that an extraordinary player like Julian Alvarez is wanted by Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona.

“It’s normal because he’s very good.”

With the Gunners keeping their eyes peeled to other possibilities, our sources revealed on Thursday that Berta is also a big admirer of a brilliant Premier League star, and we understand a possible £85m swoop is being weighed up.

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