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Arsenal have failed in their ambitious pursuit of Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior, and as expected, this has resulted in something of a meltdown amongst the North London club's fanbase.
As soon as David Ornstein broke the news earlier this month that the Gunners were exploring an audacious move for the global superstar, the Emirates hierarchy were running the risk of underwhelming a raucous set of supporters. Excitement built over this potential blockbuster transfer, and now that it's not going to happen, any alternative deals that do materialise will feel anticlimactic.
Vinicius is signing a new contract at Real Madrid, and he's killing many people's dreams in the process. Regardless, Arsenal must adapt and turn to (or devise) a Plan B.
The Gunners are set to sign Bruno Guimaraes, which is an outstanding bit of business in itself, and they should look to build on this rather than being bogged down by the Vinicius saga.
There is one potentially appealing option that would set some pulses racing, although not everybody is on board with it.
Julian Alvarez remains an option for Arsenal
Julian Alvarez isn't Vinicius Junior, but he's certainly still an excellent player, and this has seemingly been overlooked amidst the hype for the Brazilian. When the Argentine is mentioned as a possible target now that the Real Madrid man isn't North London-bound, there is something of a resigned feeling amongst Arsenal fans.
Many are sceptical about the Gunners' ability to even land the World Cup winner. Atletico have been clear in their stance that they won't sell their talisman, issuing stern responses to approaches from both Barcelona and Real Madrid.
That said, this strict position stems from the fact that Atleti don't want to sell to their rivals. The Metro report that the Spanish club would perhaps be willing to sanction Alvarez's departure to the Premier League outfit, merely to avoid losing him to one of their La Liga competitiors.
They'd almost certainly be willing to sell Alvarez to Arsenal if the Gunners are prepared to fork out a fee in excess of £120 million. The English champions clearly have the money based on their pursuit of Vinicius, it's just whether they'd be willing to allocate this portion of their budget to signing the 26-year-old Atleti star.
There's the added factor that Andrea Berta has supposedly been laying the groundwork for this potential deal for some time. This could count for something, while the credible HandOfArsenal verified earlier this month that Alvarez would be open to the move.
The Arsenal transfer guru also claimed that Atleti are interested in Viktor Gyokeres. A sensational swap deal could yet be on the cards.
Why Julian Alvarez would be an excellent signing for Arsenal
Arsenal need to bolster their left-hand side, and Alvarez doesn't solve this issue. In some ways, the Argentina international is a strange player, as he's something of a second striker who can't, and hasn't, really played as a lone nine or as an out-and-out ten before.
This would make him an excellent front two partner for Kai Havertz, but it doesn't solve the fact that Gabriel Martinelli or Christos Tzolis would have to start most games off the left. Whether Arsenal have the funds to sign Alvarez and a left winger remains to be seen, but if they don't, they can make do and mend with just adding the former Manchester City man.
A combination of Tzolis, Martinelli and Eze off the left is sufficient, and essentially was last season. However, down the middle, the Gunners will be much better stocked with a variety of different options.
Alvarez is both creative and a goal threat, as well as being a great presser. He would complement Havertz nicely, but can also be deployed as a false nine with Eze or Odegaard behind him, as long as a runner is situated on one of the two flanks.
Ultimately, nothing will truly heal the trauma Arsenal fans are feeling from missing out on what could've been with Vinicius. However, Alvarez is a wonderful player who would add a plethora of different attacking options in terms of potential combinations and configurations.
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