Julian Alvarez’s name has become more synonymous with Barcelona than Atletico Madrid given the intense speculation over the last few months.

The Argentine remains the top target for the Catalans, with the player himself keen on playing for the Blaugrana next season. But Atletico Madrid simply won’t budge.

As the transfer saga continues to drag, it has given Barcelona’s rivals time to pose a strong challenge in the race to sign Alvarez.

Arsenal eyeing a move for Alvarez

According to The Independent, Alvarez has long been admired by Mikel Arteta, and the Gunners are now stepping up their interest as they look to strengthen their forward line.

Arsenal’s push comes at a time when the competition for the Argentine appears to have eased somewhat.

Alvarez is said to be open to a move to the Emirates, though his clear preference had always been to remain in Spain, with either Barcelona or Real Madrid his ideal destination.

The report notes that Arsenal had previously explored alternatives, such as PSG’s Bradley Barcola, given how complicated the Alvarez deal appeared.

However, with PSG keen to keep the young winger, the Gunners have refocused their attention firmly on the Atletico man.

A World Cup to remember

The timing of Arsenal’s move coincides with Alvarez finally coming to life at the World Cup.

After a largely subdued tournament, the 26-year-old produced a moment of brilliance in Argentina’s 3-1 extra-time win over Switzerland, curling home a stunning long-range strike to settle the tie.

It was the kind of decisive contribution that had been missing from his tournament up to that point, and a timely reminder of exactly why so many of Europe’s elite clubs covet his signature.

For Barcelona, who have coveted Alvarez as their primary striker target, the goal will only have reinforced their desire to get a deal done.

The biggest hurdle, as ever, is Atletico Madrid’s steadfast refusal to sell to a direct rival. The Madrid club have made their stance abundantly clear and have been particularly irritated by the public nature of the campaigns waged by both Barcelona and Real Madrid.

While Atletico are determined not to hand a boost to either of their LaLiga rivals, they may have fewer reservations about sanctioning a sale to a Premier League club.