Arsenal's reported interest in 'next Julian Alvarez' hits release clause wall
Arsenal's reported interest in Santos forward Ignacio Pereira appears to have been dealt a significant setback after the 16 year old signed a new long term contract with the Brazilian club.
Pereira, who has been tipped for a bright future and compared in Brazilian media to Julian Alvarez, had been linked with a move to north London in recent weeks, according to reports in Brazil. Arsenal were said to be among the clubs monitoring the teenager as part of their efforts to strengthen the forward line.
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That pursuit now looks considerably harder. Pereira has put pen to paper on his first professional contract at Santos, tying him to the club until the summer of 2029. Brazilian outlet UOL has reported that the new deal includes a release clause worth around €100million, equivalent to roughly £83.4million.
Speaking about the new terms, Pereira said: “Very happy to sign my first professional contract. I've been here for three years, since the Under-13s, and I hope to achieve my biggest goals, which is to be on the Santos professional team and the Argentina National Team.”
Context behind Arsenal's forward line search
Arsenal spent the summer transfer window searching for reinforcements up front after Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus all departed the club on permanent deals. Christos Tzolis arrived from Club Brugge, but speculation persisted that further additions were needed.
Alvarez himself was strongly linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium during the summer, though the Argentina international ultimately preferred a switch to Barcelona, a deal that never materialised. The comparisons drawn between Alvarez and Pereira had fuelled suggestions that Arsenal might look to the Santos academy for a long term alternative.
What it means for Arsenal
With Pereira only just having signed fresh terms and a release clause in the region of £83.4million now in place, any move for the teenager looks extremely unlikely in the near future. At 16 years old, Pereira is also unlikely to be considered an immediate solution to Arsenal's needs up front regardless of fee.
It remains unclear exactly what plans Arsenal have for the position in future transfer windows, or whether the club will look elsewhere for a forward with similar attributes to Alvarez and Pereira. For now, the Santos youngster's focus will be on breaking into the club's first team and the Argentina national setup, having committed his future to the Brazilian side until 2029.
