Arsenal face La Liga outfit Girona on Saturday night, in their first pre-season friendly of the summer.
Mikel Arteta’s defending Premier League champions will also face Real Betis, Borussia Dortmund and Como in friendlies before they begin the season by facing Manchester City in the Community Shield at Wembley on August 16.
The Gunners hadn’t won the top flight title in more than two decades before triumphing last term, but the north London outfit haven’t defender their top flight title in almost a century.
Arteta will be desperate to see his side defend their crown, and the recent acquisition of Christos Tzolis will be welcomed by the club’s supporters.
Now, though, it appears that Arsenal are confident about their chances of landing one of Europe’s most in-demand attackers.
According to TEAMtalk, the Gunners are well-placed to sign Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez if the Argentine decides he wishes to leave the Spanish capital.
Alvarez could leave Atletico this summer (Photo: SIPA US/Alamy)
The report claims that the London side’s sporting director, Andrea Berta, has been in regular contact with the attacker’s representatives.
Alvarez joined Atletico from Manchester City back in 2024, after a successful two-year spell at The Etihad.
Since moving to Spain, he has netted 49 goals and provided 17 assists in 106 games for the La Liga side across all competitions.
The report suggests that Arsenal believe that, once Alvarez signals that he wishes to leave Atleti, agreeing personal terms with the player and a deal with the Spanish side will not be a problem.
It is also claimed that Arsenal’s pursuit of Alvarez will not impact their other transfer dealings this summer, meaning that the Premier League champions could still make other additions to Arteta’s squad even if they are successful in signing Alvarez.