Barcelona chief rules out Julian Alvarez as Arsenal path clears

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Barcelona have publicly walked away from their pursuit of Julian Alvarez, removing the biggest obstacle between Arsenal and the Atletico Madrid striker they chased throughout the summer.

The Argentine was at the centre of a transfer saga that ran for months before ending with him staying put in Madrid. Alvarez had made clear his desire to move to Catalonia, but Atletico refused to do business with a La Liga rival and issued a public statement confirming they would not negotiate.

Arsenal were among the clubs monitoring the situation but were unable to get a deal over the line. Mikel Arteta ultimately opted against adding another marquee forward, while Barcelona moved in the opposite direction and signed Gabriel Jesus from the Gunners for £8.6million, ending the Brazilian's four-year spell in north London.

Deco: 'Julian is in the past'

Speaking at the Portugal Football Summit in Lisbon, Barcelona sporting director Deco confirmed the club have moved on. "Julian is in the past, we have to look ahead, and we are happy with the rest of the squad," he said, as reported by football.london. "I hope he is doing well too and helping his club, that's what it comes down to. I mean, there are many deals and many signings that simply don't work out for us."

He added: "The idea has always been to bring in a mobile number nine capable of linking up with teammates, and Julian was one such player. It didn't work out; we made an offer. The club always maintained they wouldn't sell him, so we have to look for other solutions."

Deco also insisted the decision to use Raphinha through the middle at times was unrelated to the failed Alvarez bid, pointing instead to the departure of Robert Lewandowski at the end of last season.

What it means for Arsenal

With Barcelona out of the picture, Arsenal would not have to compete with one of Europe's heavyweights should they revisit their interest in a future window. Atletico's stance last summer was that Alvarez was not for sale at all, and that position was framed specifically around a domestic rival rather than a blanket refusal.

Alvarez has made four appearances for Diego Simeone's side this season, with his start to the campaign disrupted by injury. Since joining from Manchester City in 2024, the 26-year-old has scored 49 goals in 110 games for the Spanish club.

Deco was complimentary about Jesus, who has scored twice in four appearances under Hansi Flick. "Gabriel Jesus wasn't in the plans, as we were unaware of his situation; there was a lot of talk about him potentially renewing his contract," he said. "Once we decided that signing Julian was impossible, we began looking for solutions, and Gabriel was the perfect fit for us."

For now, Alvarez's focus will be on rediscovering form for Atletico after the international break, while Arsenal's own striker situation remains one to watch as the season develops.