Julian Alvarez set deadline by Atletico Madrid as striker remains 'confused' over Arsenal & Barcelona transfer saga

The hierarchy at Atletico Madrid has grown weary of the ongoing speculation surrounding their star forward and, according to Sky Sports, has set a deadline of Sunday for the player to commit to his future. Despite heavy interest from abroad, the club firmly ruled out a domestic move, stating in a sharp response that there is a 'zero per cent chance' of selling him to Barca. Labeling themselves as the 'only victims' harmed both financially and socially by a campaign of lies, Atletico emphasized that the situation is no longer about money, but about dignity.

CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin has also spoken out about the toll the situation is taking on the striker, who has not trained for several days. Gil Marin explained: '[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.'

Despite the firm rejection from the capital, Barcelona president Joan Laporta has publicly confirmed that the Catalan giants remain firmly in the hunt for the forward. Hansi Flick views the Argentine as the ideal replacement for the departed Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.

Laporta addressed the friction directly, stating: 'Before anything, we have the utmost respect for Atletico de Madrid and a personal appreciation for their executives as well, because we've known each other for many years. This whole situation has created a lot of noise. This is not motivated by actions taken by Barca. It is motivated by the fact that Atletico told us they were not selling (Alvarez).'

He further reaffirmed Barcelona's interest, adding: 'In case Atletico de Madrid want to sell the player, we are very interested in buying Julian Alvarez. We would like our offer to be accepted. We say it with all the respect towards Atletico, but we want them to know that if they are open to selling him before the end of the summer transfer window, we would be willing to buy him.'

Across the English Channel, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been forced to field questions regarding a move for the 26-year-old. While the Gunners are reportedly monitoring the situation, they have not yet made a formal approach, as the player has not indicated a clear willingness to return to the Premier League, having also recently rejected the idea of a return to Manchester City. Meanwhile, the uncertainty surrounding his future is already having an impact on the pitch, with Atletico boss Diego Simeone confirming that Alvarez will miss this weekend's clash against Sevilla after failing to train with the squad for the past three days.

The Gunners boss insisted on a policy of transparency with his players, saying: 'Very simple. Whatever you read, if you have a question, come and knock on my door, and I will tell you whether it is true or not. Because a player in any position, if they read it, we could put a catalogue on the walls about all the players that we wanted in the last three months, and we would need the whole building. They know that there's so much speculation. So if ever they feel the doubt of what we think about them, and if we're going to recruit a player, I tell them straight away.'

As the transfer deadline approaches, the situation remains fluid. Arsenal appear content to wait for a signal from the player's camp before engaging in formal negotiations, while Barcelona are hoping that the player's desire to move to Catalonia will eventually force Atletico's hand. Arteta added: 'And if we're going to sign somebody in their position, I normally tell them. I say: "These are the plans and the reasons. We still believe in you, but the competition is going to increase". I prefer to do it that way.'