Arsenal are exploring the possibility of offering Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres as a makeweight to bring Julian Alvarez to the Emirates, with Atletico Madrid’s Argentina forward valued at a staggering £432m release clause. The Gunners have long admired Alvarez, who is tied to the Spanish club until 2030, but must navigate a deal that could also involve moving Gabriel Jesus on — AC Milan among the leading contenders for the 29-year-old Brazilian.
The potential swap comes as Barcelona, who are also chasing Alvarez, plan to resume their pursuit after the World Cup and may include one of their own players in the offer. Meanwhile, Liverpool have rejected a fresh £27m bid from Inter Milan for Curtis Jones, making clear they will not let the 25-year-old England midfielder go for less than their £30m valuation. Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola praised Jones: “I rate Curtis very highly. For me, he is a great player. It’s very important he’s Scouse, that he’s from here. I also like the personality. I hope we can keep him, not only for this year, more time.”
“Arsenal plan to offer Viktor Gyokeres in swap for Julian Alvarez as Liverpool reject £27m Inter bid for Curtis Jones.”
On another front, Tottenham captain Cristian Romero is set to leave the club this summer, with Barcelona interested in the 28-year-old Argentina defender. In other developments, Manchester United are reported to have offered Lisandro Martinez to Atletico Madrid as the Argentine centre-half’s contract expires next summer; United may seek to recoup some of the £57m they spent to bring him from Ajax in 2022.
Liverpool have also made fresh contact with Paris Saint-Germain over a potential move for France forward Bradley Barcola, 23, while Everton have stepped up their interest in Genoa’s Brooke Norton-Cuffy, 22, with fresh talks over the England Under-21 defender. Sunderland are set to complete the signing of Belgium right-back Thomas Meunier, 34, after his departure from Lille. Elsewhere, Crysencio Summerville’s agents have met with Roma over the Netherlands forward’s move from West Ham, and USA goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, 22, is on trial at Strasbourg with a view to a transfer from Chelsea.
What remains unclear is whether Atletico hold any interest in Gyokeres or would accept a partial swap for Alvarez, with approaches from Real Madrid and Barcelona already falling short of the asking price. The transfer window remains open, and Premier League clubs continue to reshape their squads as the season approaches.