Arsenal Targets Julian Alvarez After Vinicius Junior's Contract Renewal

As Vinicius Junior drifted into the final year of his previous Real Madrid contract, the whispers started. A superstar entering the last 12 months of a deal at the Santiago Bernabeu will always stir the market, and this one was no different. Europe’s elite were mentioned. Saudi Arabia too. Arsenal’s name quickly found its way into the conversation.

The reality? It never got close.

Vinicius, 26, has already lived in the rare air of Ballon d’Or contention and continues to be one of Madrid’s most reliable match-winners. That profile alone was enough to light up north London, especially with Arsenal reshaping their left flank after parting ways with Leandro Trossard and preparing to cash in on Gabriel Martinelli.

Christos Tzolis has hit the ground running since his move to the Emirates, his previous spell at Norwich helping smooth the transition. But Vinicius would have been something else entirely – a statement signing, the kind that alters the mood of a title race before a ball is kicked.

Instead, he signed on again with Real, committing his future to the Spanish giants through to 2032.

For Gareth Barry, watching from afar, the whole saga felt familiar. Speaking to GOAL on behalf of BetVictor Online Casino, the former England midfielder saw the links as textbook contract brinkmanship.

“I was buzzing to see Vinicius Junior linked with the Premier League. It would have been great to see him over here,” Barry said. “From afar, it seemed like a classic agent's tactic, if they were in negotiations, bringing in another massive club would obviously pique interest and help get that contract spiced up to meet demands before signing. It was classic agent play, personally.

“At the same time, it would have been great to see him in the Premier League, as he's one of the world's stars at the moment.”

So Arsenal move on. The Vinicius dream is over, but the radar stays fixed on La Liga.

This time the name is Julian Alvarez.

The World Cup winner, who already knows the Premier League from his time at Manchester City, is understood to be exploring an exit from Atletico Madrid. His hunger for a new challenge has put English clubs on alert and drawn the attention of Barcelona, who are short of central strikers but long on financial headaches.

Barry, whose record for all-time Premier League appearances was overtaken by James Milner last season, can see why Atletico are digging in.

“I was surprised to see that Julian Alvarez wants to leave Atletico, but I understand why they'll keep him. He's a great player, his work rate's incredible,” he said. “He'd be a great team-mate, I'm sure, to play alongside. I was surprised by the links with Arsenal. I think it's probably similar to what they've already got.

“I'm not sure they would have needed him, but there would definitely be interest from other Premier League clubs. But yeah, I think if [Diego] Simeone is that strong on keeping him, I'm sure he'll stay for another year at least.”

Barcelona have been circling, sensing an opportunity if Atletico’s stance softens. Their lack of funds, though, has left the door ajar. If a bidding war breaks out late in the window, Arsenal are well placed to walk through it.

Mikel Arteta’s side have already begun the defence of their Premier League crown with authority, easing past Coventry to open the 2026-27 campaign. The squad looks powerful, the system well-drilled, but the market still has time to twist.

The clock runs until September 1. Vinicius Jr will not be wearing red and white. Alvarez, on the other hand, remains very much in play as the rumours gather pace heading towards the deadline.