Atletico Madrid open to selling Alvarez to Arsenal but striker holds out for Barcelona

Atletico Madrid have dropped their insistence on keeping Julian Alvarez and are now open to selling the Argentina striker to Arsenal — but the 26-year-old has made clear he has no interest in returning to England, with Barcelona the only destination he wants.

Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo reports that Alvarez’s public transfer request during the World Cup has made his situation at Atletico untenable, forcing the club to reconsider a sale they had previously ruled out. Atletico boss Diego Simeone is said to be willing to accept a deal that includes Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres as part of a swap arrangement mooted in recent weeks.

The development marks a significant reversal for Atletico, whose CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin had been uncompromising in his public stance. “We didn’t accept the €100m offer, nor will we accept one for €150m or €200m,” Gil Marin stated, insisting the only route out for Alvarez was the payment of his €500m (£428m) release clause. “I have no doubt that Atletico is the right place for Julian and that Julian is the centre forward for Atletico Madrid. We want to keep him.”

Barcelona had a €100m (£86m) bid rejected earlier this summer and were subsequently the subject of a FIFA complaint from Atletico for allegedly approaching Alvarez without permission. Despite that, the former Manchester City forward has been unambiguous about where he wants to go. “I spoke with people at the club, with those I had to speak with, and the best thing for everyone is a transfer and I want to fulfil my dream,” Alvarez said in June. “I try to be an honest person.”

Alvarez left City in 2024 and has shown little appetite for a return to the Premier League, making Arsenal’s path to signing him complicated regardless of any agreement reached with Atletico.

The striker missed Atletico’s La Liga opener, a 2-0 home win over Malaga, with Simeone citing fitness concerns after Alvarez was granted extended rest following Argentina’s run to the World Cup final. “We’re looking after both the person and the player, and we understand that he is not in the right condition to play,” Simeone said. Whether Alvarez features against Villarreal on Sunday remains uncertain, with his long-term future at the club now very much in question.