The noise around Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez refuses to go away – so where are things after a chaotic few days surrounding the in-demand Argentine?
Alvarez did not train with his Atletico team-mates on Wednesday, though this was officially put down to a stomach bug and a poor night’s sleep rather than anything to do with his future.
The 26-year-old wants to join Barcelona, who again went public with their desire to sign him on Wednesday in a video interview with president Joan Laporta.
The truth is that we’re very interested in the player,” he told their club channels. “We’d like our offer to be accepted, and we say this with all due respect for Atletico Madrid.”
However, Atletico’s stance remains that they categorically do not want to sell him – and even more emphatically that he will not be sold to Barcelona in particular. Not only because the two are rivals, but also due to bad blood between the clubs over previous transfers.
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Atletico have not commented directly but Marca, Spain’s biggest sports newspaper, have received on-the-record quotes from the club saying: “The player is being portrayed as the victim, but we are the only victims in this case.
“[Barcelona] have harmed us both financially and socially. There is a zero-per-cent chance of selling him to Barcelona – it’s not about money, it’s about dignity.”
The situation around Alvarez’s future has become “extremely tense”, according to Atletico expert and journalist Ruben Uría.
His public desire to leave has made him so unpopular with the club’s supporters that he was booed off after their 2-2 draw with Villarreal on Sunday.
“Neither Miguel Gil Marín (CEO of Atlético Madrid) nor the Apollo board want to sell the player to Barcelona,” Uría told Sky Sports News. “The entire Apollo board supports Gil Marín’s decision. Alvarez has been told.”
According to Uría, Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has remained in contact with his former Atletico employers in recent days after Alvarez was booed off by supporters in the opening LaLiga game against Villarreal.
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The Gunnersremain interested in Alvarez and would be prepared to break their transfer record, the £105m paid out for Declan Rice three summers ago, to bring him to the Emirates Stadium – but the player himself does not want to move to London.
Could Arsenal still end up signing Alvarez?
Sky Sports News senior reporter Rob Dorsett:
“I think even if Arsenal are outsiders at the moment, and the official word is that Arsenal aren’t holding out great hopes of making this deal happen.
‘But if Alvarez thinks his future needs to be away from Atletico Madrid after upsetting his supporters and they won’t sell him to Barcelona, his only option is to join Arsenal, the Premier League champions.
“At the moment, he says he doesn’t want to do that. But there are still six days of the window left.”
