Julian Alvarez was absent from Atletico Madrid training for the third day in a row on Friday, adding further uncertainty to his future at the club. The 26-year-old has stayed away from the first team in recent days due to a stomach bug.
Reports in Spain suggest that while Alvarez is still not joining up with Diego Simeone's squad, he could return to the training ground on Friday. If that is the case, Alvarez will work alone away from his team-mates. It is expected that he will play no part in Atletico's trip to Sevilla in LaLiga on Saturday.
Struggles and Barcelona interest
Alvarez's continued absence comes after Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin admitted that the forward is "really struggling". The Argentine remains desperate to force through a move to Barcelona, but Atletico's hard stance on refusing to sell to their rivals remains.
"Our intention and my personal dream is for him to stay with us, to remain at Atletico," Gil Marin said on Thursday. "To compete amongst the greats, you need great players, and Julian is one. If he believes that staying at Atletico is no longer feasible, we will look for an alternative, but it will never, ever be Barcelona."
Arsenal waiting in the wings
With the transfer window closing on Tuesday night, there is limited time for a resolution to be found. Arsenal continue to work on a deal in the background and it is understood that Atletico could be open to selling to the Gunners for the right price.
However, Alvarez is yet to give the green light to Arsenal and the wait for encouragement from his representatives goes on. Gil Marin added: "Julian is really struggling. There have been people who have set out to deceive and confuse him, and I'm very sorry about that. I know him and we've been working with him for some time. He's a great professional and footballer, but he's very confused and going through a very difficult time, both personally and professionally."
