Arsenal are back on Saturday lunchtime, but Mikel Arteta has been linked to two new strikers in the past 24 hours as they look to reclaim their spot at the top of the table
Arsenal are set to return to a drastically different Premier League on Saturday lunchtime. The Gunners are set to clash with Leeds United, who have had a great to start to the season under Daniel Farke.
Mikel Arteta’s side went into the break chasing Manchester City – who have since been found guilty of breaking 114 of the Premier League’s financial rules. And the Gunners look set to drive the boot in, after a former City star has performed a stunning U-turn on his future.
Julian Alvarez was tracked all summer by Arsenal, and he could be ready to finally make the jump. Here, Daily Star Sport examines two of the most recent transfer developments concerning the club.
Julian Alvarez U-turn
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Julian Alvarez has allegedly had a change of heart and is now genuinely weighing up a switch to Arsenal come January. The Gunners spent the entire summer hoping the Atletico Madrid forward would be receptive to joining them, having been willing to shell out upwards of £100m.
Nevertheless, Alvarez maintained he was only interested in a transfer to Barcelona. Following Atleti’s refusal to sanction his move to their La Liga rivals Barca and subsequent jeers from his own supporters, many at Arsenal were optimistic he might reconsider, reports the Mirror.
Yet he ultimately remained in Madrid – a choice that has backfired spectacularly as he has failed to find the net this campaign. TEAMtalk now claims the 26-year-old is discontented with the idea of staying at Atletico permanently, offering Arsenal renewed optimism.
The report suggests Alvarez’s Barcelona dream is becoming increasingly unlikely, with the Catalan giants eyeing a potential swoop for Erling Haaland, which the Argentine recognises would completely rule out Barcelona as a destination.
The Gunners, meanwhile, are poised to launch a renewed bid to lure Alvarez to north London come January.
Contact established with striker’s representatives
Arsenal have also allegedly turned their attention to Bayer Leverkusen forward Christian Kofane. The north London club are said by SportBild to have established contact with the 20-year-old’s representative in preparation for a possible January approach.
The German publication states that Arsenal have been in talks for some time, though they face competition. Manchester United are equally interested in Kofane and have held discussions with his camp.
Kofane’s contract talks with Bayer have recently hit an impasse. His existing agreement extends until 2029 with earnings of approximately £850,000 annually , but the Bundesliga club wishes to boost this to more than £3m-per-year while securing his services until 2031.
The Cameroonian netted seven times during his debut campaign with the Bundesliga outfit and caught the eye in a Champions League last-16 encounter against Arsenal last season , where he apparently impressed Arteta.
The youngster’s representative, Eric Depolo, acknowledged the north Londoners’ pursuit of Kofane back in April, revealing they were leading the race for his signature.