Pep Guardiola already gave Mikel Arteta green light to replace Arsenal star with Julian Alvarez

Pep Guardiola already sent Mikel Arteta a clear message regarding Julian Alvarez as Arsenal look to land the wantaway Atletico Madrid star

Pep Guardiola once compared Julian Alvarez to Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus, who could make way for the Atletico Madrid star in the final week of the summer transfer window.

Jesus worked under Guardiola for five-and-a-half years at Manchester City before his move to Arsenal in July 2022. The Brazilian was replaced by Alvarez at the Etihad that same summer, with the latter’s performances immediately drawing comparisons to Jesus.

Guardiola, who left City at the end of last season as one of the greatest Premier League managers ever, commented in 2023 on the resemblance between the two players, particularly in their dogged defensive work.

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He said: "I would say there is not one person who is not happy for Alvarez. He’s a special guy, with his work ethic. He reminds me a bit of Gabriel [Jesus], how aggressive he is without the ball.

"For Julian, we are delighted because he played a lot and his contribution was amazing for the team, for the way they played. We have a world champion in our team.

"He can play wider with his vision from outside and he can increase our intensity. He always has [a] chance to score. In the training sessions we see how clinical he is and how fast, and clever he is in those moments."

After a hugely impressive first four months at Arsenal, injuries derailed Jesus’ career in north London to the point where he was listed for sale this summer. Despite being just 29 years old, the striker lacks the same sharpness and pace that made him such a threat four years ago, with Napoli now keen to sign him for a fee of around £20m.

Conversely, Alvarez is currently at the top of his game, having developed into a world-class forward since sealing a move from City to Atletico Madrid in August 2024. The Argentine has also been one of Mikel Arteta’s primary targets throughout this summer.

The major stumbling block in the Gunners’ pursuit has been that the 26-year-old has his heart set on a move to Barcelona. It is understood Arsenal have received little encouragement from the player’s side that he wants to return to England and play for the Premier League champions.

Yet, Arteta was handed renewed hope on Sunday after dramatic scenes unfolded during Atletico’s 2-2 draw with Villarreal at the Metropolitano Stadium. Alvarez, who had been left out of Diego Simeone’s squad for the first La Liga game of the season, was brought on in the second half of their second fixture at the weekend.

The striker suffered humiliation from his own fans, who jeered and whistled when his name was announced. He was then advised to leave the field at full-time by an Atletico official rather than join his current team-mates in clapping supporters, perhaps through fear of even more reaction, and was booed intensely as he glumly made his way off the pitch.

The incident indicated that the relationship between the player and Atletico has now reached an irreparable point following Alvarez’s repeated requests to leave the Spanish capital. That could play into Arsenal’s hands in the last week of the transfer window as, with a move to his preferred destination blocked, the 2022 World Cup winner’s most appealing option left could be to sign for the north Londoners.