Arsenal's pursuit of Julián Alvarez has taken another turn, with his expected move to Pablo Barquero raising fresh concern that Barcelona could again have the edge. The Argentine is said to be close to ending his relationship with Fernando Hidalgo, and that change has reopened a race Arsenal thought they had already pushed deep into the background.
Barquero's Barcelona link
The concern is obvious. Barquero has already been linked in reporting to Rodri and Barcelona through his previous work, which is why Arsenal are watching this development closely. Sport, writing on football365.com, said Alvarez is “very close to signing with Pablo Barquero, the agent who handled Rodri’s transfer to Barça last summer.”
That does not mean a move to Catalonia is done, but it does mean Barcelona remain a live obstacle. Another report, via TEAMtalk, said Arsenal are emerging as Alvarez’s first-choice alternative to Barcelona, so the picture is still split between London interest and Spanish preference.
Arsenal's previous setback
This is not a fresh pursuit from nowhere. Arsenal tried to sign Alvarez last summer, but Atletico Madrid refused to sell him to Barcelona. TEAMtalk also reported that Arsenal were willing to pay over £100million, which shows how serious the interest already was when the first attempt collapsed.
The current concern is that the same old advantage may be back in play, this time with the agent switch adding another layer to it. Barcelona remain the club Alvarez is said to prefer, and that leaves Arsenal trying to force their way through a market where he has already leaned one way before.
Arsenal are second in the Premier League with 15 points from 6 games, which keeps their planning active while the Alvarez chase stays open. The next move in the story is the agent change, because that is what will tell clubs whether the balance has shifted again.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →
