Arsenal transfer news: Barcelona star would "love" £85m Mikel Arteta target to reject Premier League and join La Liga giants

Barcelona midfielder Gavi spoke about his desire for Julian Alvarez to join the club despite interest from Arsenal.

The summer transfer window is underway, and the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have strengthened considerably.

However, Arsenal have been relatively inactive so far, though they are set to bring goalkeeper Illan Meslier to London after his Leeds United contract expired.

Mikel Arteta's side have still been linked with a number of star players, including Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez.

Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona midfielder Gavi was keen for Alvarez to join, saying: "Hopefully [a deal happens]. We'll see what he decides to do with his future, but of course I'd love him to be with us. Besides, it's his dream."

Alvarez has already expressed his wishes to join Barca, though Atletico have reportedly already rejected a €100m (£85.42m) offer from the Catalan side.

Julian Alvarez to Arsenal: Why does Mikel Arteta want Atletico Madrid star?

After watching Viktor Gyokeres struggle to settle into life in the Premier League, it is understandable that many Gunners fans are concerned by the prospect of him starting the majority of games next season.

Alvarez is smaller at 5ft 7in than the 6ft 1in Swede, but he did score 16 non-penalty goals in 67 league games for Manchester City between 2022 and 2024, while he also registered eight assists.

Gyokeres scored 14 Premier League goals for the Gunners in 2025-26, but three came from the penalty spot and eight of his non-penalty strikes came against clubs that finished in the bottom eight.

The likes of Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke struggled to make an impact in the final third last term, and perhaps the two would benefit from someone as accomplished with the ball at their feet as Alvarez.

Arsenal vs. Barcelona: Can Mikel Arteta win race for striker?

The unfortunate reality of battling La Liga's two biggest clubs - Barcelona and Real Madrid - is that they will more often than not secure the player they want.

Barca's financial situation might be more precarious than that of Arsenal, but the attraction of playing for arguably the biggest side in the world would make it difficult to turn them down.

It has also been long reported that Alvarez has a strong desire to join the Catalan club, so persuading him to play at the Emirates next term may be an impossible task.

There is also the problem of trying to convince Atletico Madrid to sell a player that they have publicly denied is for sale, meaning Arsenal's efforts would almost certainly be better spent in the pursuit of the likes of Bradley Barcola or Morgan Rogers.