Barcelona’s pursuit of Julian Alvarez has entered its decisive phase, with Atletico de Madrid maintaining that the Argentina forward will not be sold to the Catalan club.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta said last Wednesday that his club had not abandoned its efforts to sign Alvarez. However, Atletico’s board has since publicly backed the decision to reject any transfer to Barcelona, citing what it considers to be the Catalan club’s conduct throughout the negotiations.
According to Sport, which cited Cadena SER, Alvarez’s family held a meeting lasting more than five hours with his agent, Hidalgo, and the rest of his representation team in the early hours. His lawyers were also present, with discussions continuing until dawn.
The meeting focused on assessing the forward’s position and deciding which course of action was now most realistic. With a move to Barcelona becoming increasingly difficult, Alvarez must consider whether to accept an offer from Arsenal or attempt to repair his relationship with Atletico and remain at the Madrid club.
Those are currently regarded as the only two viable options available to the 25-year-old.
Arsenal are the only club presently appearing to offer a realistic route for Alvarez to leave the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. The Premier League side have the financial strength to complete a major deal and are continuing to monitor the dispute closely.
The main obstacle is that Alvarez himself remains unconvinced about moving to Arsenal. Despite the growing difficulty of joining Barcelona, the Argentina international has not yet fully embraced the prospect of playing for the Gunners.
The alternative would involve staying with Atletico, a more complicated path for the forward. To make that possible, Alvarez would need to step back from the current dispute, accept the situation and apologise.
He would then have to work to rebuild the trust of Atletico’s supporters, whose relationship with the player has been placed under further strain by the transfer stand-off.
The situation became particularly difficult after Atletico adopted a firmer public position than before. The club has not merely insisted that Alvarez is unavailable to Barcelona; its board has also united behind that stance.
That leaves Alvarez facing a significant decision. He can continue pursuing a transfer to Barcelona until the end, while accepting the risk of remaining in Madrid under the present circumstances, or he can open the door to Arsenal.
For now, Barcelona’s interest remains active, but Atletico’s refusal to negotiate has made the move increasingly uncertain. Arsenal’s financial capability gives them a genuine opportunity, although Alvarez’s own doubts mean the outcome has yet to be settled.
