Arsenal hold talks with club over signing £250k-a-week striker instead of Alvarez

Arsenal have spent much of the summer looking for the forward capable of making a title-winning attack even more dangerous.

Julián Alvarez is the dream target, going by multiple reports, but that isn’t to say Andrea Berta is throwing all his eggs in one basket.

The Argentina international emerged as Arsenal’s leading attacking target after another productive season at Atlético Madrid.

He appealed because he could solve two problems at once, operating through the middle or drifting left without weakening Mikel Arteta’s pressing game.

That flexibility became particularly attractive once Gabriel Martinelli’s future came into question.

Galatasaray have submitted an offer worth around £38 million for the Brazilian, while Arsenal have already sold Leandro Trossard and added Christos Tzolis.

Losing Martinelli would still leave room for another elite forward who can start from the left, and Arsenal’s pursuit of Alvarez has been serious enough to generate reported contact with Atletico, but it has never looked simple.

The Spanish club rejected a £128 million offer from Real Madrid in June and chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin later insisted that bids of €100 million, €150 million or even €200 million would not be accepted.

Reuters/Vincent Carchietta

That was a public warning to Arsenal, Barcelona and every other admirer.

Alvarez remains under contract until 2030 and has become the face of Atletico’s attack since leaving Man City in 2024, and while Berta knows Atletico intimately after spending more than a decade inside the Spanish club’s recruitment department, it hasn’t been enough to soften their position.

With Atletico refusing to open the door, Arsenal have continued looking at other major attacking opportunities, and that has brought Victor Osimhen back into the picture.

Arsenal discuss Victor Osimhen in talks with Galatasaray

The Telegraph report that Arsenal and Galatasaray have held talks concerning the Nigeria striker.

This comes as the Turkish champions attempt to negotiate a deal for Martinelli, with Ethan Nwaneri also involved in the talks, creating an intriguing line of communication between the clubs.

There is currently no indication that a swap has been agreed, and the two possible transfers should be treated separately unless negotiations develop further, while it is also unclear who brought Osimhen up during these discussions.

Arsenal’s admiration for Osimhen is not new.

Berta travelled to Istanbul during the spring and was reported to have discussed the forward’s situation after watching Galatasaray face Fenerbahçe.

Osimhen offers a more traditional penalty area threat than Alvarez, combining explosive pace with aerial ability and ruthless finishing getting in behind defenders.

The financial challenge is enormous, though.

Galatasaray paid Napoli a Turkish record £64 million to sign him permanently last summer and have him tied down to a £250,000-per-week deal until 2029. Sky Germany reported on Thursday that they had also refused to negotiate after receiving a verbal approach from Al Hilal.

That hardly suggests a club preparing to sell cheaply.

Arsenal already have Viktor Gyökeres, but their continued interest in elite forwards shows Arteta wants greater variety.

Alvarez remains the ideal all-purpose attacker, but Osimhen is the powerful alternative now being discussed.