Richards has urged Man City to snatch Alvarez from Arsenal's grasp and bring the Atletico Madrid striker back to the club.

Richards has urged Man City to snatch Alvarez from Arsenal's grasp and bring the Atletico Madrid striker back to the club.

Alvarez won two Premier League titles in two seasons wearing a Man City shirt but moved to Atletico Madrid for £82 million in August 2024 due to limited playing opportunities.

Since then, the Argentine striker has established himself as one of Europe's top forwards, scoring 49 goals in 107 appearances for the Spanish side.

However, the 26-year-old is believed to be seeking a new challenge, having stated during the World Cup that joining Barcelona this summer is his dream.

Atletico Madrid has taken a firm stance, insisting they will not sell Alvarez to a domestic rival, and the striker was heavily booed by their own fans during La Liga's draw with Villarreal on Sunday evening.

Arsenal has shown interest in Alvarez throughout the summer, hoping to add another superstar striker to Mikel Arteta's squad.

Alvarez has made clear his preference is to move to Barcelona, but recent reports suggest his stance may be softening, which could give Arsenal an opportunity to table a major offer.

It could take up to €150 million (£128 million) to prise Alvarez away from the Spanish capital, and Arsenal are reportedly considering selling Gabriel Martinelli to fund the deal.

Richards believes signing him would be a "statement of intent" from Arsenal, but he would rather see his former club Man City make a late move to bring Alvarez back to the Etihad to strengthen Enzo Maresca's attack.

"I feel like Arsenal need one more," Richards said on The Rest is Football podcast.

"Clearly they have Gyökeres, you can't disrespect him; he's a Premier League champion. But I just feel if they want to build dominance, go and find another striker. Go and get Alvarez, that would be a statement of intent.

"If I were Man City, I'd go back in for Alvarez. 100%."

Meanwhile, Alan Shearer believes Arsenal will be "very difficult to stop" across all competitions this season if they sign Alvarez.

"Havertz has been excellent, and I think in the big games Arteta will use him, and I understand that," he said.

"Gyökeres has done well too, but I agree with Micah.

"If they want to stay at the top and try to build dominance over the next three or four years, then if they can sign a top-class striker, I think that would make them very, very difficult to stop."

In an interview last weekend, Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone called on the club's fans to support Alvarez, despite the striker's public desire for a new chapter.

"To win titles, you need strikers," Simeone said. "We're competing with the players we have. Until now, I've told the players before they play that as long as they're in this team, I'll completely support them.

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

"I think we all need to stick together. Julian is with us in the team, and as long as he's here, we'll support him.

"We want the best for him because we know what he can bring. It's a difficult situation for everyone, but hopefully the issue can be resolved, and we can all be happy at the end of the season."

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