Arsenal are targeting two superstar players as Mikel Arteta wants to take his Premier League champions to the next level.
The Gunners ended a 22-year title drought last season, sparking jubilant scenes in North London. But they agonisingly missed out on securing a historic double when they lost the Champions League final to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties, meaning the club's long wait for a first European Cup continues.
More top class attacking talent is on the agenda for the English giants, who are already in fine form after thrashing Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield last weekend, ahead of hosting Coventry City on Friday night, when Premier League football returns.
Arsenal's strategy for £206m duo
Arsenal are reportedly biding their time until later in the transfer window to see if they can land one of their top targets.
Arteta has wanted to recruit a top class attacker this summer but failed to sign either Morgan Rogers or Vinicius Junior, who chose to move to Chelsea and to stay at Real Madrid respectively, reports the Mirror.
However, The Athletic suggests that while there's been a significant emphasis on the left wing, there's some flexibility regarding the position Arsenal's next marquee signing will occupy, depending on which of their key forward targets becomes available.
Their two primary long-term targets still on the market, albeit carrying hefty price tags, are Kenan Yildiz of Juventus and Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid.
The former recently inked a contract extension and is reportedly valued at around £86m, while Alvarez could command a fee north of £120m.
Having already secured the signature of left winger Christos Tzolis, Arsenal aren't in a hurry to bring in another forward. Instead, they're said to be planning to hold off until late in the window to see if the market makes one of the aforementioned superstars attainable.
Atletico's Julian Alvarez decision
Atletico boss Diego Simeone has confirmed Alvarez won't feature in his team's La Liga opener against Malaga on Wednesday night due to fitness issues.
The 26-year-old has been consistently linked with a move away this summer, with Barcelona and Arsenal being the two most frequently mentioned suitors for his services.
When questioned about whether Alvarez might feature, via Marca, Simeone said: "I still think the same way. I take care of the sporting side. We've been talking as we always do. From a sporting perspective, we need more training sessions with him so he can improve. He's one of the best attacking players... if not the best."
Alvarez was afforded an extended holiday following his run to the World Cup final with Argentina. Journalists at the recent press conference persisted in pressing Simeone about Alvarez's future and Atletico's legal battle with Barcelona concerning the player.
Nevertheless, the Argentine manager was adamant that his star forward remains unavailable for transfer.
He said: "I think if the club owner spoke so bluntly about what he said, that's all there is to it, it's more than clear. This is like when you go to court... there's nothing more to it. We take care of the person and the player, we understand that he's not in condition to play in this match."
