Arsenal's chances of landing Julian Alvarez before the transfer window shuts appear to have received a boost, after Atletico Madrid's chief executive made it clear the Argentine striker will not be sold to Barcelona under any circumstances.
With the summer market set to close at 11pm BST on Tuesday, September 1, Alvarez remains firmly at the top of Arsenal's wanted list. The Gunners are prepared to table a substantial offer for the forward, but only if there are clear signs from his representatives that a move to north London would be welcomed.
The 25-year-old, who joined Atletico from Manchester City, has reportedly grown increasingly receptive to the prospect of returning to the Premier League. His time at City brought a string of major honours after he first moved to Europe from River Plate back in 2022, and there is a sense that he may now be ready for a fresh challenge in England once again.
The latest development in this drawn-out saga came from Atletico's CEO, Miguel Angel Gil, who used an interview with Movistar to firmly shut the door on any possibility of Alvarez ending up at Barcelona, even as he acknowledged the club may have to let the player go elsewhere.
"My personal dream is for Julian Alvarez to stay at Atleti," Gil said. "If he wants to leave the club, we will look for an alternative, but he will never, ever, ever go to Barcelona."
Gil did not hold back in expressing his frustration at how the situation had unfolded, suggesting that outside parties had played a role in unsettling the player.
"Julian is in poor health. There are people who have taken it upon themselves to deceive and confuse him, and he is going through a difficult situation," he added. "We are outraged and repulsed by this lack of ethics. We are not going to negotiate with Barcelona. The only firm decision is that we will not negotiate."
Those comments effectively rule out one of the more sensational destinations that had been speculated upon in Spanish football circles, and in doing so, they may inadvertently strengthen Arsenal's hand. If Atletico are determined to block any route to the Camp Nou but remain open to a sale elsewhere, it leaves the door ajar for interested Premier League suitors, with Arsenal understood to be the most active among them.
For now, much depends on the signals coming from Alvarez's camp. Arsenal have shown no intention of rushing into a deal purely on speculation, and with time running short before the deadline, any move would need to gather pace rapidly. The north London club have long been searching for reinforcements in attack, and a player of Alvarez's pedigree, given his proven scoring record and experience of English football, would represent a marquee addition.
Whether the confusion at Atletico translates into genuine movement before the window shuts remains to be seen. Gil's comments suggest the Spanish club are resigned to the idea that keeping hold of their prized striker may not be possible, even if their preference is clearly for him to stay. Should Alvarez's advisers signal a willingness to explore a return to England, Arsenal appear ready to act decisively in what has become one of the most closely watched transfer sagas of the summer.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport (football).