A press report on Tuesday claimed the Atletico Madrid striker's situation has changed completely compared to last summer, putting him on the path towards the exit.
Letting him go seemed impossible 12 months ago. Now, departure is firmly on the table for both the club's management and the player himself.
According to "Marca", Atletico Madrid are tackling several issues before the winter transfer window alongside their primary target of a left-back to replace Grimaldo. One of them is Sorloth, whose January departure would open the door for another striker.
Plenty of time remains, with many matches to come and numerous factors fuelling the debate. This is just one of the scenarios being weighed up at the Wanda Metropolitano.
His standing at the club has shifted radically. What was beyond question in the summer has become an option under study in the winter.
Put simply, Sorloth's place in the team was guaranteed a few months ago. Now it is up for discussion. The circumstances have changed, and his displays on the pitch are doing nothing to help his cause.
Six matches into the season, he is still waiting for his first goal, though that comes with a caveat: he has played only 155 minutes since the start of the campaign, hampered by an injury that kept him sidelined for two months in the summer. His last two outings, however, dragged him into the spotlight.
Against Bayern Munich, he was Simeone's weapon to beat the high press. He barely won a single one-on-one against the two centre-backs.
Then came Barcelona. He came off the bench but made little difference, and his body language deepened the doubts around him, to the point where his potential departure now feels like an entirely different proposition.
Cast your mind back to the summer. With Julian Alvarez's crisis deepening, Sorloth was the only number 9 available to Simeone. Another factor seemed to slam the door on any exit too: Villarreal retained 20% of any future sale over the next two years as part of the deal signed with Atletico Madrid in August 2024.
Jonathan David adds to the suffering
Jonathan David has complicated matters. The deadline-day signing has gone from an unknown quantity to a dependable attacking option, especially after scoring in his first three league matches.
The Norwegian is the only striker who offers something different from the rest of Atletico's forwards, yet his role in the side remains uncertain.
A change of scenery in the winter window, then, would not be unwelcome. His potential departure would push sporting director Mateo Alemany to hunt for a striker with greater influence on the course of play.
Sorloth himself may welcome the idea. He is reluctant to accept the substitute role he has effectively been handed since arriving, should his game time keep dwindling.
Even in terms of getting a deal done, Atletico Madrid are staring at the ideal moment to sell. With his contract running until 2028, the winter window or next summer represents their last chance to cash in on him in any meaningful way.