Arsenal are ready to sell Viktor Gyokeres if a club puts £64m on the table, with the Swede the expected casualty if Julian Alvarez arrives.

Arsenal pushed hard to sign Alvarez over the summer, though as was the case with Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior, they couldn’t reel in the big fish.

Atletico Madrid were prepared to sell the Argentine who was desperate to leave. However, the 26-year-old only had eyes for Barcelona who Atleti point blank refused to enter negotiations with.

A late call from Mikel Arteta failed to convince Alvarez who ultimately remained in situ. However, he’s since cut a dejected figure and predictably, his form for Atleti has fallen off a cliff.

Alvarez is yet to score this season and there’s a growing sense Atletico Madrid would be wise to cash in while the striker’s value is still high.

Many won’t like the notion of player power winning in the end, but if the outcome is Alvarez drops stinker after stinker while wearing an Atleti shirt, it’ll be beneficial for all involved to sell.

Crucially for Arsenal, reports over the past few days have claimed Alvarez is slowly experiencing a change of heart and is now warming to the idea of joining Arsenal, and potentially as early as January.

What’s more, Spanish outlet Sport stated that in lieu of Alvarez’s dismal displays this season, the magic number that can unlock his transfer has dropped to €120m. Over the summer, figures in the €150m ballpark were touted.

If Alvarez does join the Gunners, the player who’ll be most impacted by his arrival is Viktor Gyokeres.

Viktor Gyokeres out, Julian Alvarez in?

The Swede scores at a relatively healthy rate of one in three for the Premier League champions, though that’s a far cry from the goal-per-game numbers he put up at Sporting CP.

Clearly, Mikel Arteta isn’t convinced either, with the Arsenal boss largely favouring Kai Havertz as his starting striker anyway.

If Alvarez were to arrive, Gyokeres would slip to third choice for one position. His situation in north London would thus become untenable.

The latest from Italian outlet TuttoJuve states Arsenal have slapped a £64m asking price on the frontman. That is essentially the price they paid to sign the 28-year-old when factoring in potential add-ons.

Adding fuel to this transfer fire are claims in the report Gyokeres is already growing dissatisfied with his lack of starts. That’s a situation that would only worsen with Alvarez in the building.

TuttoJuve concluded by noting intermediaries are already exploring possible destinations in Serie A and the Bundesliga.

At £64m, Gyokeres would likely prove too expensive for every German side barring Bayern Munich, who have Harry Kane in situ anyway.

Italian sides aren’t known for dropping big sums on players these days either, meaning Arsenal may have to take a flexible approach to their valuation to entice a permanent buyer.