Marca’s David Medina has reported Wednesday that Julián Alvarez at last has realized that his “dream” of joining FC Barcelona this summer has been dashed — and for the first time, the Argentina striker is considering a move to English champions Arsenal.
“On Monday, after what happened at the Metropolitano (against Villarreal), Julián realized, perhaps for the first time, that his only option to leave is to join Arsenal,” Medina wrote. “In this respect, his agent (Fernando Hidalgo)’s siren songs about
continuing his career at Camp Nou have ended.
“The turning point began with an unusual decision: his family did not go to the stadium as usual since he arrived at Atlético,” Medina continued. What happened during the match delivered another twist in the tale when Alvarez left the pitch before his teammates arrived in the locker room. The decision not to expose him to the Frente Atlético was a club decision, as Simeone confirmed at his postmatch press conference.”
On Wednesday, Alvarez was a no-show at training as Atlético began preparations for Saturday’s visit to Sevilla. Club sources told Marca that the 26-year-old was ill overnight and in no condition to train. Atleti believe this sudden bout of illness has been prompted by the continued drama over Alvarez’s stalled transfer to Barça, over which Atleti issued a strong statement through Medina earlier on Wednesday.
“The only victims in the Julián case are us,” the club’s statement read. “There is a zero percent chance we will sell him to Barça. This situation is not about money, it’s about dignity.”
Those words came after Barça president Joan Laporta reaffirmed his club’s interest in signing Alvarez…while confirming there would not be a second offer for him beyond the €100 million bid that Atlético publicly rejected three months ago.
“We are still very interested in Julián Alvarez,” Laporta told Barcelona’s official social media channels. “We would like our offer to be accepted, and we are doing so with the utmost respect for Atlético de Madrid.”
This continued standstill appears to have finally convinced Alvarez that enough is enough — and though sources around the player have cautioned that United Kingdom visa restrictions would rule out his return, the player himself is increasingly desperate and is beginning to see Arsenal as his only true way out of Atlético.
“In recent days, Julián has been seen more frequently with Sergio Díaz, his second representative behind Fernando Hidalgo, who has remained in the background,” Medina wrote. “After what happened on Sunday, Alvarez is starting to come around on the idea of heading to Arsenal in the final days of the transfer window.”
Arsenal have targeted Alvarez for more than a year and have stepped up their pursuit of the player amid his yearning for Barcelona. Knowing that Atlético would never sell him within LaLiga, Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta have moved quietly behind the scenes to take advantage of the continued standstill. It sounds like they will get their chance in the last days of the market.
Sporting director Mateu Alemany was in London last week, and it is thought that he met with Arsenal representatives as well as Chelsea directors, with whom he discussed a potential move for Nicolas Jackson. Just reading the tea leaves, I believe Atlético and Arsenal have had the basic framework of an Alvarez deal in place for some time: Atleti would sell the player for a fee in the neighborhood of €150 million, a club-record outgoing transfer, and Arsenal would come mighty close to that figure with incentives included.
As soon as Alvarez gives the thumbs-up to a move, the clubs will bring that agreement forward — and hopefully, Atlético have a plan to replace La Araña with so little time left in the window.
