Barcelona are pressing on with their pursuit of Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez, even though the deal has grown extremely complicated and the clock is ticking fast.
Their latest move saw sporting director Deco sit down with Fernando Hidalgo, the Argentine's agent, in Madrid.
According to AS, that meeting sparked a change of strategy in the bid to bring Alvarez to the Camp Nou. Rather than wait for him to force the issue in public, as he did at the 2026 World Cup when he demanded in the mixed zone to be allowed to leave, Barcelona want a quieter approach.
Diplomacy and dialogue now take priority. Alvarez will rejoin training and stay silent in public, biding his time until he meets the coach and then the board, where he plans to confirm and insist that he wants out and will accept nothing but a move to Barca.
Simeone and Miguel Angel Gil have both stood firm in blocking their player's exit. Whether this softer route can prise open a door to the deal remains to be seen.
Those in charge must now weigh the risk of keeping a player who has told them he wants to go, and who will keep reminding them of a promise. According to his agent, they vowed earlier that they would let him leave if an interesting offer arrived.
Alvarez reckons Barcelona's offer suits both parties. The Madrid club see it differently.
Any dialogue between player and club should logically come hand in hand with a significant improvement in the financial package Barcelona put on the table.
Their first bid fell short of 100 million euros. The club then raised it to that figure, and the offer now sits at around 120 million euros.