Barcelona has not yet been able to get closer to Julian Alvarez, as Atletico Madrid continues to maintain their position of not selling the Argentine striker to rivals in La Liga. This deadlock opens up opportunities for Arsenal, a team that is closely monitoring the situation.
Alvarez is Barcelona's top target throughout the summer transfer window. President Joan Laporta has also repeatedly affirmed his desire to bring the 26-year-old striker to Camp Nou. However, Atletico has not shown signs of changing its views.
The situation became even more tense after Alvarez was absent from training on Wednesday (local time) for health reasons. Previously, he was booed by Atletico fans in the draw against Villarreal. The Argentine striker also did not stay at the stadium to thank the fans after the match.
Atletico is said to be very angry about the developments surrounding Alvarez. Spanish media even affirmed that the possibility of this player moving to Barcelona is "zero". The issue is no longer simply about money but has become a story about the club's honor.
Barcelona is looking at things in a different direction. Laporta confirmed that the offer for Alvarez is still valid and said that Atletico is in conflict when both declaring that they do not want to sell players and negotiating with other teams.
We are still interested in this player and the offer is still valid until the transfer window ends" - Laporta said.
The noteworthy point is that Arsenal is among the clubs that have contacted Atletico. The London team is willing to spend a very large sum of money to own Alvarez, with an expected price exceeding 100 million pounds.
However, the "Gunners" are facing an important obstacle: Alvarez has made it clear that Barcelona is a favorite destination. This makes Mikel Arteta's team have to wait for the developments between the Argentine striker and Atletico.
If Atletico continues to refuse Barcelona, Alvarez may fall into a choice between staying in Madrid or moving to the Premier League to wear the Arsenal shirt. With the current situation, the English team may become the most realistic option if Barcelona cannot break Atletico's toughness.
Arsenal is also preparing for a change in attack. Gabriel Martinelli is about to move to Al-Hilal for a fee of about 50 million pounds. The money collected will help Arsenal have more room to pursue a world-class striker.
This is not the first time Arsenal has been waiting for a complete player sale before implementing their next shopping plan. They previously completed the recruitment of Christos Tzolis after selling Leandro Trossard to Besiktas, while the Bruno Guimaraes deal also took place at the same time as Christian Norgaard moved to Everton.
Therefore, if Martinelli leaves on schedule and Atletico continues to refuse Barcelona, Arsenal will become the focus in the last days of the transfer window. Alvarez wants to come to Camp Nou, but Atletico's toughness may force him to consider another path.
