Paul Scholes has told Arsenal to go and get Julián Alvarez, and his case is built on output as much as opinion. Alvarez has scored 49 goals across his last two seasons at Atletico Madrid, after Atletico paid over £80m to sign him from Manchester City in 2024. Arsenal are still being linked with the move, while Barcelona's offer is under pressure and not open-ended.
Scholes' case for Alvarez
"There's not even a debate," Scholes told metro.co.uk. "I don't think there's loads of top-class centre-forwards knocking about. I don't see him as an out-and-out centre-forward, he's more of a drifter."
That is the crux of his argument. Scholes is not selling Alvarez as a pure No. 9, he is backing him as a high-end forward who can decide big games and justify a major fee.
He was even clearer on valuation. "If Atletico Madrid want £100m, any big club needs to go and get him. Just go and get him," he said. "Atletico Madrid won't want to sell him to Real Madrid or Barcelona. If he's £100m, Elliot Anderson has just gone for £116m, and Alvarez is a match-winner. What a signing that would be."
The transfer battle around him
Barcelona remain in the picture, but Joan Laporta's line was blunt: "What we won't be doing is dancing to anyone else's tune. He's an outstanding player, we maintain the offer. But its validity is not unlimited."
At the same time, Atletico's position gives Arsenal a route that does not exist for Barcelona or Real Madrid. The club are prepared to negotiate with Arsenal but do not want to sell to their La Liga rivals. That keeps the race alive, and it also explains why Scholes' backing lands now rather than later.
Arsenal finished first in the Premier League on 85 points, so this is not a case of a club trying to sell a dream to attract a star. It is a title-winning side being told to move for a forward who has already produced 36 goals in two seasons at Manchester City and 49 at Atletico.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →