Nairn County Overview

Arsenal will be forced to delay their pursuit of Atletico Madrid attacker Alex Baena until next summer as the Spanish heavyweights have ruled out sanctioning a mid-season departure. Mikel Arteta is keen on bringing the 25-year-old playmaker to north London in January, but the Liga side are determined to keep hold of their prized asset.

Barcelona will fight a fine imposed by the Spanish FA following a dispute with Atletico Madrid over Julian Alvarez. Despite the nominal nature of the financial penalty, the Catalan club remains adamant that their conduct during the summer transfer window was entirely within the rules.

Former Argentina striker Maxi Lopez believes Julian Alvarez made a mistake joining Atletico Madrid and should have signed for Barcelona instead. The ex-Catania star claimed broken promises in the Spanish capital are hindering the forward, suggesting a move to Catalonia would have elevated his game to another level.

Diego Simeone has offered his full support to Julian Alvarez after the Argentine striker issued a public apology to the Atletico Madrid faithful. The forward used a post-match interview to address the friction caused by his previous comments regarding a potential move to Barcelona.