Julian Alvarez's future is coming to a head. With the Atletico Madrid striker due back in training on 10 August, unexpected twists keep piling up around the Argentine, who has made clear he wants out and a move to Barcelona. Atletico, for their part, flatly refuse to sell their star to a direct La Liga rival.
Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" report that Barcelona's only route to signing "the Spider" is to trigger his release clause of 500 million euros. That is a fantastical figure, one that makes the deal all but impossible. The Catalans have offered 100 million euros for the player, and the Wanda Metropolitano hierarchy have knocked it back without hesitation.
Atletico know how hard it would be to replace a player of Alvarez's calibre. Even so, they won't rule out a solution that sends him abroad if he digs his heels in, with Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain floated as the likeliest destinations. The snag is that Alvarez himself has no appetite for leaving Spain.
PSG, though, look close to dropping out of the running. The Parisians have made real headway in their pursuit of Ferran Torres from Barcelona, which makes a second swoop for the Argentine unlikely. "The Spider" had already told Paris he wasn't interested in joining them, having previously picked Atletico Madrid over the French club.
Real Madrid could yet muddy the waters. Arsenal are chasing Vinicius Junior, who has a year left on his deal with Los Blancos and is still to sign an extension. A fee north of 100 million euros for the Brazilian would likely take the English side out of the race for Alvarez too.
The clock is ticking towards Alvarez's return to training under Simeone. Atletico are planning to hold onto him for another season, while Barcelona are in no rush to force the issue. That leaves the door ajar for fresh twists in one of the summer window's hottest sagas.