Julian Alvarez has changed his mind about joining Arsenal and is now seriously considering a move to the club in January, according to a report. The Gunners waited the entire summer to see whether the Atletico Madrid striker would be open to joining them, having been prepared to pay more than £100million for his signature.
However, Alvarez insisted he only wanted a move to Barcelona, even turning down Mikel Arteta directly. After Atletico blocked his move to La Liga rivals Barcelona and Alvarez was booed by his own fans, many at Arsenal hoped the forward would change his mind.
Alvarez's Atletico struggles
But he ended up staying put in Madrid - a decision that has not paid off as he is yet to score a goal this season. TEAMtalk now report that the 26-year-old is unhappy with the prospect of continuing at Atletico long term, handing Arsenal fresh hope.
The report states Alvarez's move to Barcelona is growing even less likely, with the club considering a move for Erling Haaland, which the Argentine is aware would remove Barcelona as an option altogether. It is claimed that, following detailed discussions with his camp in recent weeks, Arsenal have emerged as his first-choice alternative.
Arsenal ready for fresh approach
The Gunners, meanwhile, are ready to make a fresh attempt to bring Alvarez to north London in January. They already discussed including the likes of Viktor Gyokeres or Noni Madueke in a potential swap deal, and the fact that neither player has had a prominent role this season suggests they may be offered to Atletico once more in January in a bid to secure their key target.
Arsenal have also reportedly set their sights on Bayer Leverkusen striker Christian Kofane. The north Londoners are claimed by SportBild to have made contact with the 20-year-old's agent ahead of a potential January bid.
Kofane interest confirmed
The German outlet reports that Arsenal have been in touch for some time, though they are not alone. Manchester United are also keen on Kofane and have spoken to his representatives.
Kofane's negotiations with Bayer over a new contract have recently stalled. His current deal runs until 2029 and he earns around £850,000-a-year, but the Bundesliga outfit wants to increase this to over £3m a year to tie him down until 2031.
The Cameroonian scored seven goals in his first season with the Bundesliga side and impressed in a Champions League round of 16 clash with Arsenal last term, where he seemingly caught Arteta's eye. The youngster's agent, Eric Depolo, confirmed the north Londoners' interest in Kofane back in April, stating that they were in pole position to secure his signature.
Depolo pointed to factors such as Arteta's interest and influence, Kofane's Spanish-speaking ability and Arsenal defender William Saliba's Cameroonian heritage. He valued his client at around £85m.
