Romano confirms Alvarez’s agent switch as Arsenal keep hopes alive

Julian Alvarez is reportedly seeking a new agent, a move confirmed by Fabrizio Romano, as the Argentine forward keeps his January options open and rumours swirl that he now prefers a switch to Arsenal. The development comes after a summer in which the Gunners listed him among their top priorities.

Arsenal's marquee attacker hunt

Arsenal have made securing a marquee attacker one of their biggest summer priorities, with Alvarez featuring prominently on their shortlist. The Gunners view the Argentina international as a potential solution to the goal‑scoring void left by recent departures.

Other targets and recent exits

Morgan Rogers, who eventually joined Chelsea, and Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior were also on that ambitious Arsenal shortlist – but in the end the Gunners were disappointed. Christos Tzolis replaced Leandro Trossard, who left for Besiktas, yet the exits of Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli could leave Arsenal a little short up top.

Alvarez maintained all summer that he wanted to join Barcelona, yet Atletico Madrid refused to sell the Argentina international to their direct rivals for any price. Arsenal remained the only option for Alvarez up until the deadline and in the end he decided to stay at Atletico Madrid after missing out on his dream move.

There have been rumours that Barcelona have moved on from the Argentinian for now, with TEAMtalk insisting that Alvarez is ‘now seriously considering a move to the Emirates Stadium’ and TransferNewsLive citing Spanish journalist Guillem Balague that he ‘now wants to join Arsenal’.

Chelsea rushes after Frenkie De Jong as Barcelona hesitates

Agent switch and contract news

Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Some of you keep asking me what is going on with Julian Alvarez. Is it true that Julian Alvarez is leaving his agent? Is it true that Julian Alvarez is changing his mind for January? Let me separate these things. On one side, the answer is yes. Julian Alvarez is ready to make a change in his camp after the summer.”

He continued: “On the other side, if you ask me about the January window, let me say that the answer from everyone involved… is: ‘Let Julian play football. Leave Julian alone.’ … the mission of everyone involved… is to leave Julian alone.”

In more encouraging news for Arsenal, Romano revealed that Declan Rice is now in the final stages of agreeing a new contract to stay at the Emirates Stadium, and that Mikel Arteta’s extension has already been secured.

If Alvarez eventually moves to the Gunners, the deal would give Arsenal a high‑profile forward while Atletico would retain a proven scorer; the agent switch signals that the Argentine may still be open to a January departure, keeping both clubs in a state of cautious anticipation.