Arsenal are ‘beginning to fear’ that Barcelona will stand in their way of signing Julian Alvarez once again after the Atletico Madrid striker changed agent, according to reports.

The Gunners completed the signings of Illan Meslier (free, Leeds), Piero Hincapie (£34.5m, Bayer Leverkusen), Christos Tzolis (£34.12m, Club Brugge), Bruno Guimaraes (£75m, Newcastle) and Ezri Konsa (£51m, Aston Villa) in the summer transfer window.

Arsenal went for quality over quantity this summer and they will have been disappointed not to have got a deal for another attacker over the line before the deadline.

The Gunners were linked with Morgan Rogers, who eventually went to Chelsea in a deal worth £117m, as well as Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior and Atletico Madrid striker Alvarez.

Argentina international Alvarez looked like the biggest possibility in the final weeks of the transfer window after Atletico Madrid refused to sell the striker to La Liga rivals Barcelona.

However, it eventually became clear that his stance over a potential move to Arsenal wouldn’t change as he continues to hold out for a future transfer to Barcelona.

There were claims earlier this week that Arsenal have overtaken Barcelona in the race to sign Alvarez, with the Argentina international’s decision to part ways with agent Fernando Hidalgo said to be a positive for the Gunners.

However, Sport now claim that it is working the opposite way for Arsenal with the Gunners now fearing that the appointment of a new agent ‘could tip the scales’ in Barcelona’s favour.

The report claims: ‘Arsenal are beginning to fear that FC Barcelona will once again stand in their way, preventing the signing of Julián Álvarez. The Atlético Madrid striker remains one of Mikel Arteta’s top targets, but the choice of his new agent could tip the scales in favour of the Catalan club. This is the fear circulating in England. The Argentine is very close to signing with Pablo Barquero, the agent who handled Rodri’s transfer to Barça last summer.

‘The news has sparked some concern within Arsenal. The London club has been working for months on the possibility of signing the Argentine striker, but they are once again faced with a familiar obstacle: the player’s preference for wearing the Barcelona colours.’

The report later added on the appointment of a new agent: ‘Arsenal fear that this connection could prove decisive . After missing out on signing Julián Álvarez last summer, the English club is now watching as the striker approaches the very agent who helped Rodri become a Barcelona player . A coincidence that has not gone unnoticed in London.’