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Arsenal fans can expect a final decision from Julián Alvarez this week, as Atlético Madrid wants to have a decision in place by Friday at the latest.
Without doubt, signing Alvarez is complicated for Arsenal. Arsenal want him, but he wants Barcelona. Atlético are open to selling, but only abroad.
Not only is the transfer itself complicated to pull off, but Arsenal have to think about the ripple effect in the squad. Bringing in a world-class centre forward is bound to change the dynamic.
The aim for Arsenal, ultimately, is to win the Premier League again. That said, here are the players impacted the most from Alvarez's potential signing.
5 winners and 2 losers if Arsenal sign Julián Alvarez
Winner #1 - Martin Ødegaard
One of Alvarez's best qualities is how he can easily drop deep and pick up possession, whether that be at the half during counterattacks or on the edge of the box to complete attacks.
No matter which offensive approach Arsenal takes, captain Martin Ødegaard will absolutely have the ball at his feet during it. Having another player peel out of position to help out will only help the Norwegian midfielder.
Loser #1 - Viktor Gyökeres
Now, Alvarez is a specialist second striker. Therefore, he doesn't necessarily push Viktor Gyökeres any further down the pecking order than he already is.
However, the key piece of context is that Alvarez partners best with a tall striker. At Arsenal, this is much more likely to be Kai Havertz than Gyökeres.
Gyökeres would certainly still get minutes from the bench if Arsenal do adopt two strikers, but it keeps him pinned to the exact same squad role that he was last season.
Winner #2 - Christos Tzolis
What Arsenal fans are learning about Christos Tzolis already is that he is an incredibly direct winger. When he picks up possession, he only wants to bring it closer to the goal.
This is the exact reason why his numbers were monumental for Club Brugge, and it's also the reason he will love playing with a striker like Alvarez.
Alvarez proved at Man City that he wants to be involved in the goals. Sure, last season wasn't great for him numbers-wise, but he shares that exact same knack as Tzolis, and that's why they could combine well in the Premier League.
Loser #2 - Ethan Nwaneri
Alvarez is versatile, boasting the ability to play anywhere in the attack. He can play as a lone striker, second striker or on both wings.
It is for this reason that Nwaneri suffers. While the expectation is that Alvarez will play through the centre of attack, Arsenal could easily call on him should there be injuries behind the striker.
Nwaneri struggles for game time enough as it is, so adding Alvarez into the fray limits his minutes even more.
Winner #3 - Myles Lewis-Skelly
Myles Lewis-Skelly is the talk of the town right now, for all the right reasons.
One thing that he's added to his game since switching up his position is his eye for a pass. We saw in the Community Shield that he took Man City's entire defence out of the game with a cute through ball to Riccardo Calafiori.
He also played an impressive through ball on the opening day of the season against Coventry. This, combined with Alvarez's elite movement off the ball, could create some additional chances for the Argentine.
Winner #4 - Kai Havertz
They play in the same position, but there is every reason they could play together.
Alvarez has spent a large chunk of his career playing alongside a second striker. It is the formation in which he thrives the most. The same can also be said for Havertz.
If Mikel Arteta wants to get the best out of Alvarez, then partnering him with Havertz in the attack is his best play. It would, obviously, require a slight formation tweak, but it's certainly worth experimenting with.
Winner #5 - Mikel Arteta
We all know Arteta loves versatility in his players, and he would have that with Alvarez.
The Spanish boss could call on Alvarez for multiple positions in the attack or even the midfield. Who knows what kind of crazy experiments Arteta could cook up? Arsenal fans know better than to judge his next move by now.
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