Arsenal hatch Viktor Gyokeres swap plan to land Julian Alvarez

Arsenal are ready to sacrifice Viktor Gyokeres in a spectacular bid to sign Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid, according to a report. The Gunners are seeking more firepower during the transfer window, and while they have made strong progress to sign Morgan Rogers and Bruno Guimaraes from Aston Villa and Newcastle respectively, they have so far been frustrated in their efforts to land the Argentina international. Alvarez has been a firm target for Arsenal, though the player reportedly prefers a move to Barcelona. Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, are playing hardball. They are not willing to sell Alvarez cheaply, even after Real Madrid were linked – but that interest was mocked by Atleti, who reportedly told the Spanish champions to stump up the player’s €500m release clause. The Spaniards have made clear it will take something extravagant to sanction a sale, and according to TalkSport, Mikel Arteta’s side believe Gyokeres could hold the key. Arsenal are willing to use the Sweden international in a part-exchange deal to cut the price of Alvarez. Gyokeres has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €60.8m, which would eat significantly into the fee Atleti will demand for Alvarez – whose ETV sits at €103m. Doubts have been raised over the likelihood of such a deal taking place. Swaps are notoriously difficult to orchestrate, requiring agreement from multiple parties. Though Atleti do hold an interest in Gyokeres, Arsenal’s interest in the Argentine is still at the ‘exploratory’ stage. Arsenal have been backed as an excellent destination for Alvarez by TalkSport’s European football expert Andy Brassell. “He’s someone who can really lead a team. He has heart and soul; he gives everything in every game. He does so much running... can create on his own, score from within the penalty box, from range, and set up others. Arsenal would be a terrific spot for him. It would be a plus for Arsenal as well – I don't think they have a player like him, and there aren't many players in football quite like him either,” Brassell said. Alvarez’s willingness to move to Arsenal is doubtful, however. Reports suggest he sees Barcelona as his preferred destination, fuelling the Catalan club’s hopes of landing the attacker.