Julian Alvarez has not attended Atletico Madrid training since the club privately informed him they would not sell him to Barcelona. The striker's only likely exit now appears to be a move to Arsenal.
Sources indicate that Atletico communicated to Alvarez and his advisors earlier this week that negotiations with the Catalan club for the Argentina international would not take place. The 26-year-old has since missed two consecutive days of training, citing illness.
Atletico Madrid has released two public statements within 24 hours, reiterating their position that Alvarez will not be granted his wish to join Barcelona. However, the La Liga club is open to selling Alvarez to Arsenal and has engaged in direct discussions with the Premier League champions regarding a potential transfer.
Atletico director Mateu Alemany was in London last week, where he reportedly met with Arsenal counterparts and indicated his side would seek a fee of 150m Euros (£128m). Discussions between Atletico and Arsenal regarding a club-to-club agreement for Alvarez have been positive, and a deal could progress quickly if Alvarez agrees to the move.