Rivals must have hoped that Arsenal would flake away at the start of their Premier League title defence, but an imperious opening-day victory over Coventry City and a 3-0 thumping of Manchester City in the Community Shield the week before have dispelled the doubters.

With Manchester City, Liverpool and even Chelsea all in transition, there's no question that Mikel Arteta and his team have a golden opportunity to make it back-to-back top-flight titles after two decades of drought.

Ezri Konsa has reinforced the backline, and Bruno Guimaraes' £75m arrival from Newcastle adds so much to the country's most formidable midfield. However, the Gunners are still lacking in attack, but the chances of signing Julian Alvarez are reducing following the player's assertion that he does not want to move to the Emirates.

Why Alvarez could still sign for Arsenal

Alvarez has been Arsenal's top attacking target this summer, the Atletico Madrid man having established himself as one of the world's best after leaving Manchester City for £81m two years ago. In Spain, he has developed into a clinical talisman, retaining the dynamism that made him such an interesting profile in the Premier League.

The issue: Arsenal want to sign Alvarez, and Atletico are willing to sell him to the English champions, albeit with ridiculous figures reaching £128m being bandied about. However, the Argentina international has informed Arteta, personally, that he does not want to return to the Premier League.

This might feel like the end of the line in the Gunners' quest to sign a forward who has been hailed as "the most complete centre-forward in football", in the view of pundit Karen Carney, but it does seem like his position at the Wanda Metropolitano has become untenable, and a move to London would surely seem preferable to continuing within his current environment.

The Madrid-based side might have barred the 26-year-old's dream move to Barcelona, but he may yet consider a career left-turn and move back to England.

Should Arsenal fail to convince him, though, technical director Andrea Berta does have an interesting alternative in mind.

The striker Arsenal could sign instead of Alvarez

Alvarez is a sensation, unquestionably among the most talented forwards of his time. His versatility and big-moment ability in the final third would make him a fantastic addition, but if he doesn't want to join the Londoners, would spending £128m make all that much sense?

Instead, Arsenal could go down a different route and sign his teammate Alexander Sorloth. As per recent reports, intermediaries have offered the 30-year-old frontman to Arsenal and Manchester United, suggesting talks have been held. He is open to leaving Atletico this summer, and the Spanish side are happy to oblige, should they secure a replacement in the coming days.

With two years remaining on his contract, the Spaniards will demand a fee, though it's certainly not going to take a figure in Alvarez's ballpark to bring him over to London.

Both Sorloth and Alvarez scored 20 goals in all competitions last season, but in La Liga, Alvarez only scored eight times. Sorloth, conversely, produced a more clinical campaign, notching 13 strikes across only 20 starting appearances. Diego Simeone has described him as a "phenomenal" finisher.

Sorloth has been something of a journeyman throughout his career, with a one-time foray into English football with Crystal Palace yielding only one goal across 20 appearances. But he has aged like a fine wine, finding stability and consistency under Simeone's wing.

Arsenal are more nuanced in their tactical approach than Atletico, but there are similarities in the way the two teams play. Sorloth, in that regard, would dovetail right in and apply pressure on the likes of Gyokeres.

After all, both players arrived in the Spanish capital at the same point, 2024, and for all Alvarez's reputation, Sorloth has provided a steady stream of goals to keep level with his illustrious partner. Given that he would be a far more cost-effective arrival, there's certainly an argument to be made that Sorloth would be the better signing - especially if Arteta is still keen on adding a left-sided forward.

Alvarez would, of course, be a sensation in the Premier League - again - but after an eight-goal La Liga campaign and the elephant in the room that speaks of the player's desire to use Arsenal as a stepping stone, should he indeed join.

The monstrous Norwegian would be a pragmatic signing for an Arsenal side who only need a few more ingredients to establish themselves, once again, as the team to beat in the Premier League.

In fairness, Arteta's side already boast that reputation, and while Sorloth might not have Alvarez's world-class reputation, he would make a big difference in adding strength to the frontline, securing a player who would want to stay and fight for the badge over the coming years.