Julian Alvarez's future remains unresolved as the Atletico Madrid striker and his inner circle held an extensive meeting to determine his next move, with a potential switch to Arsenal appearing increasingly unlikely.
The 26-year-old forward, who has made no secret of his desire to leave Atletico this summer, has long favored a switch to Barcelona over any other destination. However, the ongoing dispute between the two Spanish clubs has left that dream in serious jeopardy, forcing Alvarez to consider alternative paths as the transfer deadline looms.
According to Cadena SER, Alvarez gathered with his agent Fernando Hidalgo, members of his management team, and legal advisers for a marathon session on Thursday evening that reportedly stretched into the early hours of Friday. The discussions were said to focus on the limited options now available to the player, given Atletico's firm stance against negotiating with Barcelona.
The tension between the two clubs escalated this week after Barcelona president Joan Laporta publicly reaffirmed the club's interest in signing Alvarez. "We're keeping our hopes up and sticking to our plan — with all due respect to Atletico — of trying to sign him," Laporta told ESPN. "We would like to reach an agreement with Atletico; we are therefore standing by our proposal, our offer to Atletico, and hopefully there will be an understanding between the two clubs."
Atletico's board responded swiftly and firmly, issuing a statement that left no room for ambiguity regarding their position. The statement read: "The members of Atletico de Madrid's Board of Directors have unanimously expressed their absolute support for the club's decision to not negotiate the transfer of Julián Alvarez to FC Barcelona. The members of the Board of Directors acknowledge that Atletico de Madrid is open to standard transfer market negotiations when conducted in a professional, ethical and respectful manner. We fully stand behind the club's previously communicated position that FC Barcelona failed to meet these requirements and, as a result, there will not be any negotiation and there is zero consideration of an Alvarez transfer to Barcelona."
With the Barcelona route effectively blocked, Alvarez's realistic choices have narrowed considerably. One option involves accepting an offer from Arsenal and returning to English football, a path he has so far shown little enthusiasm for. The other would see him attempt to mend fences with Atletico and remain in Madrid beyond this window.
Despite Arsenal's readiness to conclude a deal, indications suggest the Premier League club would only pursue formal negotiations if Alvarez himself expresses genuine interest in the move. Journalist David Ornstein, speaking on Saturday, offered clarity on the situation. "At the time of reporting, there is a low chance that Julian Alvarez comes to Arsenal," Ornstein said. "Atletico Madrid would do a deal with Arsenal. Arsenal are prepared to reach a club-to-club agreement, but they would want the player to want to join them."
Ornstein added that Alvarez had already communicated his reluctance directly to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. "Alvarez has shown no indication of wanting to join at this point. He's spoken to Mikel Arteta and said that he doesn't want to come. That could change, these situations are always movable, so I don't want to say it won't happen, but right now, it's not developing."
Atletico are reportedly seeking a fee in the region of £130million should Alvarez push through an exit to Arsenal, with reports in Spain suggesting Viktor Gyokeres could feature in any potential deal, while Gabriel Jesus has also been mentioned as a possible incoming option for the Madrid club.
With both the Spanish and English transfer windows set to close on Tuesday, time is running short for all parties involved to reach a resolution.
Based on reporting from Standard (football).