Atlético Madrid have reached a closed agreement to sell Julián Álvarez (26) to Arsenal, with the deal structured as €50 million in cash plus the inclusion of Swedish forward Viktor Gyökeres, according to Jota Jordi, a collaborator on El Chiringuito. The claim lands amid a summer-long saga that has involved a rejected €150 million bid from Real Madrid and persistent interest from Barcelona – and directly contradicts Atlético’s own public stance on the Argentine’s availability.
The revelation is striking given that, as recently as last Sunday, Joan Laporta called Atlético chief executive Miguel Ángel Gil Marín to be told, in Jota Jordi’s words, that “Julián Álvarez is not for sale” – a message Laporta received several times during the same conversation. Jota Jordi was explicit: “Atlético Madrid has a closed agreement to sell Julián Álvarez with Arsenal. It is a closed agreement for the sale of the Argentine striker. Let’s see if they can deny it.”
Atletico Madrid close agreement for Julian Alvarez sale to Arsenal
The proposed structure would see Arsenal contribute €50 million in cash alongside Gyökeres, the Swedish forward Arsenal signed from Sporting CP less than a year ago for approximately €70 million in fixed fee and variables. Gyökeres has scored 21 goals for Arsenal under Mikel Arteta and carries a Transfermarkt valuation of €65 million – bringing the combined theoretical value of the package to around €115 million.
That figure sits well below the €500 million release clause Atlético have repeatedly cited as their reference point when dismissing approaches, and it also falls short of Real Madrid’s formal €150 million offer, which Atlético explicitly rejected earlier this month. Whether Gil Marín has judged the Gyökeres sweetener sufficient to bridge that gap, or whether the reported agreement includes undisclosed add-ons, is not yet clear from Jota Jordi’s account.
No source from within Arsenal or Atlético’s official communications has corroborated the claim at time of writing. El Chiringuito occupies a specific space in Spanish football media – influential and well-connected, but not bound by the same sourcing standards as a club beat reporter – and Jota Jordi’s own framing, including the pointed challenge to Atlético to deny it, suggests he is confident in the claim while acknowledging it will need confirmation.
What this means for Atletico Madrid’s summer
Álvarez arrived at Atlético in summer 2024 from Manchester City in a deal worth up to €95 million – the club’s record outgoing expenditure at the time – on a contract running to 2030. Selling him for a package valued at roughly €115 million, less than two seasons later, would represent a modest return against that outlay given the scale of interest his performances have attracted.
The broader saga has placed Atlético in an uncomfortable position. Tensions with Barcelona over Álvarez have been building since May, and the player himself has made clear his preference for a move to Camp Nou – making Arsenal’s reported agreement, if accurate, a significant redirection of his destination.
What next for Julián Álvarez?
The immediate question is whether Atlético issue a formal denial – the club’s standard response to unwanted transfer stories has typically come through Marca or direct statements – or whether silence effectively confirms movement behind the scenes. If Gyökeres is genuinely part of the package, Arsenal would also need to clarify his status publicly. The next meaningful development will be an official communication from one of the three clubs involved, or a counter-claim from Álvarez’s representatives clarifying whether Barcelona remains his stated priority despite the reported agreement.
