Arsenal are reportedly planning a renewed January move for Julian Alvarez after the Atletico Madrid forward performed a U-turn on his future, while the club has also established contact with Bayer Leverkusen striker Christian Kofane.
The Gunners return to Premier League action on Saturday lunchtime against Leeds United, who have made a strong start to the season under Daniel Farke. Mikel Arteta's side went into the international break chasing Manchester City, who have since been found guilty of breaching 114 of the Premier League's financial rules.
Alvarez reconsiders Arsenal switch
Julian Alvarez is now genuinely weighing up a move to Arsenal in January, according to reports. 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.
However, Alvarez maintained he was only interested in a transfer to Barcelona. After Atletico refused to sanction his move to their La Liga rivals and subsequent jeers from his own supporters, many at Arsenal were optimistic he might reconsider, reports the Mirror.
He ultimately remained in Madrid, a choice that has backfired 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.
Contact made over Kofane
Arsenal have also 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.
