Atletico Madrid are able to make Julian Alvarez the very best paid player on the club to maintain him out of the clutches of Arsenal and Barcelona this summer.
Alvarez left Manchester City to hitch Atletico in the summertime of 2024 but is firmly on the Gunners’ radar ahead of the summer transfer window.
Arsenal are weighing up a bid for the Argentina international with Andrea Berta, the club’s sporting director, playing key role within the striker’s £81million move from City to the Wanda Metropolitano two years ago.
Barcelona are also thinking about the 26-year-old as a long-term substitute for Robert Lewandowski.
While insisting he’s joyful within the Spanish capital, Alvarez didn’t rule out a summer exit when recently quizzed on his future.
While he has 4 years left on his current contract which has a staggering release clause of €500million, Atletico now wish to offer their player an improved deal to finish any doubts over his future, Marca report.
A brand new contract would see Alvarez’s salary increase from €7million to €10million per-year, matching that of current top earner Jan Oblak.
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While formal talks haven’t begun at this stage, Atletico hope a brand new agreement will end any questions over the player’s long-term commitment.
Arsenal are out there for a left winger and a central midfielder this summer but club legend Ray Parlour believes one other striker is required in north London.
Predicting Gabriel Jesus will move on at the tip of the season, the Invincibles winner believes signing Alvarez can be ‘improbable’ business.
‘I feel Jesus might leave at the tip of the season, he’s at that age where he desires to be playing week in, week out,’ Parlour told Metro.
‘We could lose him. We had 4 strikers after I played. That’s what I don’t understand. (No matter Jesus leaving), herald one other one anyway. That can provide the opposite options a lift because they see the usual being set.
‘For me, Alvarez can be an ideal addition to the squad. There’ll at all times be people coming and getting in the summer since it’s a giant squad they usually can’t keep everyone joyful. But Alvarez can be a improbable choice to have together with his pace and what we saw at Man City.
‘It was at all times going to be difficult for him twiddling with Erling Haaland there but when he did start and when he did play, he was at all times full of life.
‘He’s a young man too, so if he’s available it’s a yes for me. When understand how Arteta likes to work with young players to make them higher so I feel it will be an ideal addition, definitely.’
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