Arsenal: Romano drops huge Julian Alvarez update after major Gunners U-turn
Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez is looking to change his agent, according to Fabrizio Romano, as he prepares for a fresh approach from Arsenal.
The Gunners attempted to sign a marquee attacker in the summer transfer window but were thwarted at every turn.
Christos Tzolis came in as a direct replacement for Leandro Trossard, who joined Turkish side Besiktas, while Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus also both left Arsenal in the summer.
That could leave Arsenal short in attacking areas with moves for Alvarez, Morgan Rogers – who eventually signed for Chelsea – and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior all unsuccessful.
Alvarez spent the majority of the summer pining after a move to Barcelona but Atletico Madrid made it clear that they were unwilling to sell to their direct rivals at any price.
Arsenal held interest in Alvarez up until the end of the window but it became clear that the Argentina international had decided to stay after failing to secure his dream move.
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A source confirmed to TEAMtalk earlier this week that Arsenal are ready to make a fresh attempt to lure Alvarez to North London in January, with the Atletico Madrid striker now seriously considering a move to the Emirates Stadium.
Bringing the latest on Alvarez, Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Some of you keep asking me what is going on with Julian Alvarez. Is it true that Julian Alvarez is leaving his agent? Is it true that Julian Alvarez is changing his mind for January?
“Let me separate these things.
“On one side, the answer is yes. Julian Alvarez is ready to make a change in his camp after the summer. Julian Alvarez is working on a change in terms of those who are close to him, to change the strategy and to change who is taking care of his future.
“On the other side, if you ask me about the January window, let me say that the answer from everyone involved, from Julian’s side, from the club side, from everyone, is: ‘Let Julian play football. Leave Julian alone.’
“But at this moment, the mission of everyone involved, after a very difficult summer for everyone involved, is to leave Julian alone.”
Arteta, Rice tied down to long-term Arsenal deals
In more good news for Arsenal, Romano has confirmed that the Gunners are close to tying down Declan Rice to a new contract.
Romano added: “Talking about contracts, for Arsenal it is quite similar. Arsenal also want to make sure contracts are all in line and all in order.
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“There were those months, March and the beginning of April, which were not easy for Arsenal in terms of results. There was a lot of pressure after a fantastic first half of the season.
“In that moment, Arsenal’s directors and owners wanted to back Mikel Arteta. They wanted to tell Mikel Arteta: ‘We trust you. We are ready to give you a new contract.’
“They then reached an agreement with the Spanish manager in the recent weeks, also with his backroom staff. So everything is done with Mikel Arteta.
“Then it is really important to mention Arsenal and the players. They want to make sure they are all very happy about their contracts.
“With Declan Rice, the agreement is very, very close. I would say it is at the final stages. The information is absolutely confirmed.
“I always told you that for Arsenal it was a priority to keep Rice and make sure the salary was going to reflect his status as one of the best midfielders in the world. Arsenal are absolutely convinced about that.
“Now Declan Rice is ready to put pen to paper soon. It is about the final details. Declan has already decided to stay and decided to continue, so that is obviously important news for Arsenal.”
