Arsenal handed Julian Alvarez transfer blow

Arsenal have been handed a blow in the pursuit of Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez this summer.

The Gunners have been long-term admirers of the Argentine, and it was recently reported that they are pushing to land his signature.

However, it now appears their pursuit has gone in vain, with Atletico having no plans to sell the World Cup winner in the current window.

They have already turned down lucrative bids from Real Madrid and Barcelona, and won't even entertain £170m for the 26-year-old.

The news is a potential setback for the Gunners. Manager Mikel Arteta is a big admirer of Alvarez and had urged the club to explore a deal.

Arsenal are likely to pursue an alternative solution and reports claim that they are preparing a formal transfer bid for Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers.

Rogers has already given the green light for a summer transfer. The Englishman is unlikely to come on the cheap and will cost £100m+.