Richards has urged Manchester City to swoop in on Arsenal's pursuit of Julián Álvarez and bring the Atlético Madrid striker back to the club.

Richards believes Manchester City should hijack Arsenal's move for Julián Álvarez and bring the Atlético Madrid forward back to the Etihad.

Álvarez won two Premier League titles during his two seasons at Manchester City but moved to Atlético Madrid for £82 million in August 2024 due to lack of regular playing time.

Since then, the Argentine forward has established himself as one of Europe's elite strikers, recording 49 goals in 107 appearances for the Spanish side.

However, the 26-year-old has reportedly expressed a desire for a new challenge, with Barcelona his preferred destination this summer.

Atlético Madrid has taken a firm stance against selling Álvarez to a league rival. The forward was heavily booed by home fans during Sunday's draw against Villarreal in La Liga.

Arsenal has shown interest in Álvarez throughout the summer and hopes to add another elite striker to Arteta's squad.

While Álvarez has made his preference for Barcelona clear, recent reports suggest his stance could soften, potentially opening the door for Arsenal to make a strong offer.

Bringing Álvarez from the Spanish capital could cost up to €150 million (£128 million), and Arsenal is reportedly considering selling Gabriel Martinelli to fund the transfer.

Richards believes the signing would be a "statement of intent" for Arsenal, but he would prefer his former club Manchester City to make a late move and bring Álvarez to the Etihad to strengthen Enzo Maresca's attack.

Richards said on The Rest Is Football podcast: "I think Arsenal still need one more. Clearly they've got Saka, you can't ignore him—he's a Premier League winner. But if they want to be ahead, I think they need to go and get another striker. Go and get Julián Álvarez. That would be a statement.

"If I was Manchester City, I'd go and get Julián Álvarez back. 100%."

Meanwhile, Alan Shearer believes Arsenal would be "very, very difficult to stop" this season in all competitions if they sign Álvarez.

He said: "Havertz is a very good player and in big games Arteta will play him, and I understand that.

"Saka has played a big role too, but I agree with Micah.

"If they want to maintain the highest level and be ahead over the next three or four years, if they can get a world-class striker in, I think it would be very, very difficult to stop them."

In a weekend interview, Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone asked fans to support Álvarez despite the forward publicly expressing his desire for a new challenge.

Simeone said: "To win, you need strikers. We're competing with what we have. Until now, I've told the players that as long as they're part of this team, I will support them fully.

"We need strikers, and we need good strikers. We have one, so we need to take care of him.

"I think we all need to be united. Julián is here with us, and while he's here, we will support him.

"We know what he can bring, so we hope for the best from him. It's an uncomfortable situation for everyone, but hopefully the issue will be resolved and we can all be satisfied by the end of the season."

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