Arsenal's Alvarez pursuit intensifies as Atletico release angry Barcelona statement

Arsenal’s bid to sign Julian Alvarez has gained fresh momentum after Atletico Madrid issued a blunt public statement ruling out any move to Barcelona, with the transfer deadline set for 11pm on 1 September.

Atletico told Marca in no uncertain terms: “There is a 0% chance of selling Julian Alvarez to Barcelona. The player is being portrayed as the victim, but the only victims of the Julian saga are us. This is about dignity.” The statement comes after the 26-year-old Argentine was booed by his own supporters during Atletico’s 2-2 draw with Villarreal on Sunday, a match in which Alvarez walked away from team-mates as they applauded the fans — a moment that has only intensified speculation over his future.

Atletico manager Diego Simeone confirmed the separation was a club decision. “It was a club decision to not let Julian Alvarez go over with his teammates to greet the fans,” he said. Before the game, Simeone had also stressed his desire to keep the forward: “For me, Julian is an extremely important player for us to achieve our objectives. As long as he’s with the team, I’m going to look after him.”

Despite Alvarez’s reported preference for a move to the Catalan club, he is understood to be open to joining Arsenal. According to the Independent, Atletico want the situation resolved one way or another by Friday, adding urgency to negotiations on all sides.

Reports have also surfaced of a potential swap deal that could give Arsenal an advantage in securing the forward, though the details of which players might be involved were not fully disclosed at the time of writing.

Arsenal have already been active in the summer window, completing the £75m signing of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United, the £51m acquisition of Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa, and the £34m arrival of Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge. Manager Mikel Arteta has also seen other targets slip away — Morgan Rogers joined Chelsea and Vinicius Junior extended his contract at Real Madrid — making Alvarez a priority as the window enters its final hours.