Arsenal are racing against the clock to convince Julián Álvarez to join them from Atlético Madrid, but their chances appear slim. The club has already agreed to sell three key players—Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, and Fábio Vieira—for a combined sum of over £70 million. Álvarez, a 26-year-old forward from Argentina, is reportedly determined to join Barcelona despite Atlético’s insistence that they will not sell to their La Liga rivals. He returned to training on Sunday after being left out of Atlético’s squad for their win against Sevilla, signaling that he may still be considering his options. Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s manager, reportedly spoke to Álvarez last week to try to lure him back to the Premier League. However, Arteta confirmed that Álvarez has only shown interest in Barcelona. When asked about the situation after Arsenal’s win against Aston Villa, he said, “I don’t know. That’s for the people upstairs.” Arteta added that the club is actively seeking reinforcements, stating, “We are trying to improve the squad and until tomorrow night we are going to do that.” Barcelona have made progress in their pursuit of Gabriel Jesus, signing the 29-year-old Brazilian for £8.6 million. Jesus, who is entering the final year of his contract, was present at Camp Nou for Barcelona’s 5-2 victory over Rayo Vallecano. Manager Hansi Flick praised Jesus, calling him a “top striker” and emphasizing his importance to the team. However, Barcelona is still looking to strengthen their attacking options after selling Ferran Torres to Paris Saint-Germain and has not given up on Álvarez. Atlético Madrid has agreed to a loan deal for Jonathan David of Belgium, with an option to make the transfer permanent next summer. However, the club is determined to keep Álvarez, who joined from Manchester City in 2024. While Arsenal is hopeful that Álvarez might change his mind, they are also exploring other attacking options. Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye was on their shortlist, but Manchester City is in advanced talks for a £65 million deal for the Senegal forward. Meanwhile, Arsenal missed out on Morgan Rogers to Chelsea and failed in an ambitious attempt to sign Vinícius Júnior, who has extended his contract with Real Madrid.