THAT'S GUNNER HELP! Arsenal handed new boost in desperate race to sign Alvarez as Man City close in on move for Liverpool star Gakpo

Manchester City might have inadvertently given Arsenal a huge boost in their attempts to sign Julian Alvarez as they close in on Cody Gakpo.

The Gunners - as well as their Premier League title rivals - have been linked with a late swoop for the Argentinian forward. Barcelona are also keen on a deal before deadline day but Atleti have categorically ruled out selling to their domestic rivals.

A statement earlier this week read: "The members of Atlético Madrid's Board of Directors have unanimously expressed their full support for the club's decision not to negotiate the transfer of Julián Alvarez to FC Barcelona. The members of the Board of Directors are aware that:

"Atlético Madrid is open to negotiations that are part of the transfer market, but always in an ethical and professional manner and with respect between clubs.

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"We fully support the position previously communicated by the club that FC Barcelona have not met these requirements and, as a result, there have been no negotiations, nor will there be any negotiations with them regarding the transfer of Julián Alvarez."

While that provided a huge boost to Arsenal’s hopes of signing Alvarez, the Gunners will also be delighted to see a development elsewhere. Alongside their former forward, Enzo Maresca’s Man City had also been linked with a move for Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo.

They faced competition from big-spending Spurs for the Dutchman but he now appears to have chosen a switch to the Etihad instead, with all parties now in talks to find an agreement before the window closes.

Should they manage to do that in time, it appears unlikely that they will move for both Gakpo and Alvarez, potentially leaving the door open to Arsenal.

With the competition out of the way, that leaves just one obstacle for Arsenal to overcome in their efforts to sign the forward and that’s convincing Alvarez himself to move to North London.

The former City man has prioritised a switch to Barcelona for the majority of the summer and it remains to be seen whether he would be willing to compromise over the remaining days of the window. From his perspective, Arteta would be open to sanctioning a big-money switch but only if Alvarez himself is keen to move to the Emirates.

Arsenal have already spent heavily this summer as they attempt to defend their Premier League crown. The North London side have completed big-money moves for Bruno Guimaraes, Ezri Konsa, Christos Tzolis and Piero Hincapie.

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