Premier League title hopefuls Arsenal and Liverpool are considering a swoop for a 37-time international

Premier League title hopefuls Liverpool and Arsenal have expressed a strong interest in signing a 25-year-old forward that is already amongst the most decorated players of the modern era.

The champions are currently laying the groundwork for a huge summer rebuild which has already seen Jeremie Frimpong arrive from Bayer Leverkusen to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold. He’s expected to be joined by club-record signing Florian Wirtz, with Fabrizio Romano describing that deal as imminent, while there’s also strong talk of a move for Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez.

Once those moves go through it’s expected Arne Slot will turn his attention to the striker department as he hopes to find a replacement for Darwin Nunez amid uncertainty surrounding the Uruguayan's future.

Arsenal, on the other hand, are searching for a goalscorer that can help the club finally end their 21-year-wait for a title. They’ve been heavily linked with Benjamin Sesko but are thought to be weighing up other potential options as well.

Liverpool and Arsenal target Julian Alvarez

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has confirmed that Liverpool and Arsenal have both shown interest in signing Rojiblancos’ talisman Julian Alvarez this summer. The capital side splashed out a reported £82m to sign the Argentine striker from Manchester City last summer, which became a club-record departure for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Alvarez hit the ground running in La Liga with 29 goals in 54 matches across all competitions, including seven goals in the Champions League and 17 goals in the league which made him the seventh highest scorer in Spanish football last term. The 25-year-old can play all across the front three and is renowned for being quick, direct, excellent at pressing opposition defences, while also being clinical in front of goal and extremely proficient at carving out chances for those around him.

Manager Simeone said: “Ever clubub wants to sign Julián Álvarez. It’s logical. I can’t imagine it any other way. Of course every top club wants him—Barcelona, PSG, Arsenal, Liverpool… all of them. And for us, for Atlético fans, it should be a point of pride that everyone wants him.

Why? Because he’s ours. And since he’s ours, we need to protect him. We have to make sure he feels happy. And how will he feel happy? By winning. And to get there, we all need to give 110%. Not just for him, of course—for everyone. He is 25 years old, an extraordinary player—hungry, humble, hardworking, a goal-scorer, and full of class.”

Why Liverpool are interested in Julian Alvarez

Former Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez is amongst the most decorated players in modern football at just 25-years-old and has proven he can be a success wherever he has played. He lifted five major honours during his time in Argentina with local side River Plate before agreeing to join Pep Guardiola’s side in January 2022 for a reported £14m fee.

He enjoyed two hugely successful years in England which saw him lift two league titles, an FA Cup, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup. The versatile forward hit 36 goals and 19 assists in 109 matches for City while often appearing as a substitute to cover for Erling Haaland. Alvarez played all over the front three during his time at City and even played as a central attacking midfielder during Kevin de Bruyne’s long-term injury crisis.

The 25-year-old also played a key role in Argentina’s World Cup triumph in 2022, scoring four goals including a brace in the semi-final against Croatia, and a winner against Australia in the round-of-16 despite starting the tournament as a backup striker. He also scored twice in the 2024 Copa America as Argentina ran out winners for the second time in a row, having also played a small role in the team’s triumph three years earlier.

Alvarez is seen as the calibre of player that could help take Liverpool to the next level in Europe and potentially take some of the pressure off the shoulders of experienced talisman Mohamed Salah in future seasons. However, the main stumbling block will be the striker’s price which is likely to be upwards of the £82m Atletico paid 12 months ago, and the fact that Simeone is desperate to keep him on board for next season as he aims to upset the established elite of Barcelona and Real Madrid in next season’s title race.