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Julian Alvarez was entirely left out of the Atletico Madrid squad for their opening La Liga fixture against Malaga on Wednesday. The high-profile omission comes amid intense speculation linking the Argentine with a move to Barcelona, despite Diego Simeone insisting the forward simply needs more time to train following his recent international commitments with Argentina.

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Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has provided a significant update on the future of Julian Alvarez as transfer speculation continues to swirl around the Argentine forward. The 26-year-old has emerged as a high-profile target for both Arsenal and Barcelona during the closing stages of the summer window.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has taken matters into his own hands by personally calling Julian Alvarez in a last-ditch attempt to lure the striker to north London. The Gunners are desperate to land the Argentine international, despite strong interest from La Liga giants Barcelona and Atletico Madrid's firm stance on a sale.