It’s not difficult to understand where Atletico are coming from. After seeing club legend Antoine Griezmann depart for MLS, Alvarez is the undisputed talisman of the team; he strikes fear into opposing defences and has the magic in his boots to decide tight games.
Losing him would effectively end any hope of another serious challenge for La Liga and Champions League honours. There is already a huge gap in quality between Atletico and Barca, and selling their best player to the back-to-back Liga champions would make it impossible to bridge.
However, keeping a disillusioned player is never a good idea. Simeone needs everyone to be all-in on his philosophy to get Atletico back on the trophy path, and Alvarez could quickly become a disruptive presence, even just with sub-conscious body language.
Atletico should, then, be far more open to letting Alvarez head abroad, maintaining the harmony in the dressing room without strengthening a direct rival. Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked with Alvarez, but Arsenal feels like a more realistic option. While PSG already boast incredible depth upfront, Alvarez could slot straight into Mikel Arteta’s starting XI.
The Arsenal boss is not willing to entertain a straight swap for Viktor Gyokeres, though, contrary to widespread reports. Arteta confirmed at the weekend that Gyokeres remains in his plans, which is no surprise given his physical attributes align so well with the Spaniard’s tactical set-up.
Alvarez is versatile enough to play out wide, as a No.10, or potentially alongside Gyokeres, having partnered Alexander Sorloth upfront at Atletico for much of last season. He’s Premier League proven, too, with 29 goal contributions to his name from 67 appearances in a City shirt, so Arsenal’s interest in the Argentina international is completely logical as they look to reach the next level.