Why Julian Alvarez won’t sign for Arsenal

Why Julian Alvarez won’t sign for Arsenal Arsenal receive clear Julian Alvarez transfer response after Arteta talks Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images Julian Alvarez is now highly unlikely to join Arsenal this summer, with the striker reportedly telling Mikel Arteta directly that he does not want to make the move to north London. On Saturday, David Ornstein reported : “Julian Alvarez has spoken with Mikel Arteta again and told him he doesn’t want to come to the club. There is now a very low chance he joins Arsenal this summer.” David Ornstein "It's a low chance that Julian Alvarez comes to Arsenal. They prepared to reach agreement with Atletico, but the player has spoken to Mikel Arteta and said he doesn't want to come. That could change, but right now it's not developing."[image or embed]— Man Incognito (@sjbrewer.bsky.social) 29 August 2026 at 15:48 That appears to bring an increasingly complicated pursuit close to its conclusion, even though Alvarez’s situation at Atletico Madrid remains unresolved. The forward has reportedly missed team training for three consecutive days , returning only to work alone this weekend. He will not be included in Atletico’s squad for their game this weekend and they have reportedly set him a 24-hour deadline to sort himself out one way or the other. None of that, however, appears to have altered his position on Arsenal. Much of the discussion around Alvarez has focused on the obvious football questions, his fee, age, output, positional fit and the wisdom of pursuing a player whose preferred destination is understood to be Barcelona . Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images Those concerns are significant. Arsenal would risk paying an exceptional premium for a player who does not regard them as his first choice, while the limited time before the transfer deadline would make a deal of this size particularly difficult to complete with the necessary care. Yet the reasons behind Alvarez’s reluctance are not understood to be a footballing rejection of Arsenal or even the Premier League . The BBC reports that his hesitation over moving to London is tied both to his desire to join Barcelona and to British visa rules that could make it more difficult for members of his family to spend extended periods with him in England. During Alvarez’s two years at Manchester City , some relatives were reportedly living in England under time-limited residence permissions. Argentine journalist Veronica Brunati said permits held by some family members, including his parents, expired after about two years, meaning they either had to leave or pursue another immigration route. Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images His partner would be in a different position. As the partner of a sponsored international footballer, she could potentially qualify as a dependant. The difficulty instead concerns parents, adult siblings and wider family members, who do not automatically receive equivalent long-term rights to live in Britain because Alvarez has a work visa. Say thanks to Brexit . That distinction matters because it changes the way his rejection of Arsenal should be understood. There has inevitably been discomfort around the idea of Arsenal pursuing a player who prefers Barcelona, and this will no doubt be framed by the media as Arsenal being rejected once again. But the reported obstacle is not that Alvarez considers Arsenal beneath him, nor that he has an objection to returning to the Premier League. Family immigration and residency considerations form a huge part of his decision. Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images Arsenal now have little reason to continue pushing after Arteta’s latest conversation with the player. Alvarez wants Barcelona. Atletico will not even enter talks with Barcelona. Arsenal could theoretically provide another elite destination, but the player has now reportedly told Arteta that he does not want that option. For Arsenal, that should be enough. There is no need for a Premier League champion to spend the closing days of the window attempting to persuade a player who has already made his position clear. Alvarez’s quality is not in question, and neither is the opportunity that might have existed had he wanted the move. But once the answer is no, Arsenal’s best response is to accept it and move on. Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images