Atletico Madrid have given striker Julian Alvarez until Sunday to decide whether he is prepared to leave the club for Arsenal or remain in Spain.
The Argentina international is understood to be weighing up his options after Atletico repeatedly told him, both publicly and privately, that he will not be joining Barcelona.
However, Alvarez is also said to be “struggling” and “confused” by the situation. He has not yet shown that he is seriously willing to consider a move to the Premier League champions.
Arsenal’s position remains unchanged from Thursday. The club believes it is unlikely Alvarez will join them and will not open negotiations unless the forward demonstrates a significant interest in becoming part of Mikel Arteta’s plans.
People close to the situation in Spain believe Alvarez is increasingly likely to stay at Atletico the longer the uncertainty continues without a clear indication of his intentions.
The 25-year-old will not play against Sevilla this weekend, Atletico manager Diego Simeone has confirmed. Alvarez has not trained for the past three days.
The development comes as Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin spoke publicly about the striker’s state of mind on Friday. He said:
“[Julian] is really struggling. There were people who misled him, who left him confused, and the truth is that I deeply regret it.
“I know him, I’ve been working with him for some time, and he is a great person, a great professional and an excellent footballer.
“He is completely confused and, at the moment, he is going through a very difficult situation, both personally and professionally.”
Atletico’s deadline gives Alvarez only a short period in which to decide whether he wants to explore a transfer to Arsenal or continue with the Spanish club.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the forward, Arsenal have not changed their approach. They are not expected to make a formal move while Alvarez remains unclear about whether he wants to join Arteta’s team.
The Premier League champions therefore continue to wait for a clear signal from the player before deciding whether the proposed transfer can progress. Until then, those close to the situation consider a continued stay at Atletico to be the more likely outcome.
Alvarez’s absence against Sevilla will add to the immediate attention on the situation, although Simeone has confirmed that his decision not to select the striker follows three days without training. The player’s future is now expected to become clearer by Sunday, when Atletico’s deadline expires.
