Atletico Madrid have reportedly issued a final ultimatum to Julian Alvarez, giving him a deadline to decide whether to seal a move to Arsenal or stay at the Metropolitano.
The Argentine forward continues to weigh up his options amidst a period of significant uncertainty, having already been informed that a potential transfer to Barcelona is off the table.
The hierarchy at Atletico Madrid has grown weary of the ongoing speculation surrounding their star forward and, according to Sky Sports, has set a deadline of Sunday [today] for the player to commit to his future. Despite heavy interest from abroad, the club firmly ruled out a domestic move, stating in a sharp response that there is a ‘zero per cent chance’ of selling him to Barca.
Labeling themselves as the ‘only victims’ harmed both financially and socially by a campaign of lies, Atletico emphasised that the situation is no longer about money, but about dignity.
CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin has also spoken out about the toll the situation is taking on the striker, who has not trained for several days. Gil Marin explained: “[Julian] is really struggling. There were people who misled him, who left him confused, and the truth is that I deeply regret it.
“I know him, I’ve been working with him for some time, and he is a great person, a great professional and an excellent footballer. He is completely confused and, at the moment, he is going through a very difficult situation, both personally and professionally.”
Despite the firm rejection from the capital, Barcelona president Joan Laporta has publicly confirmed that the Catalan giants remain firmly in the hunt for the forward.
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Hansi Flick views the Argentine as the ideal replacement for the departed Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.
Laporta addressed the friction directly.
“Before anything, we have the utmost respect for Atletico de Madrid and a personal appreciation for their executives as well, because we’ve known each other for many years,” he said.
“This whole situation has created a lot of noise. This is not motivated by actions taken by Barca. It is motivated by the fact that Atletico told us they were not selling (Alvarez).”
