Julian Alvarez has skipped training at Atletico Madrid in a potential boost for Arsenal, who are eager to sign him ahead of next week's deadline. The forward is still desperate to leave the Spanish capital, with Barcelona having been his preferred destination.
They tried to sign him earlier in the window but Atletico refused to entertain their advances, instead placing a huge nine-figure price tag on the forward. Things have now turned sour for Alvarez, who was booed by Atletico fans when he came off the bench against Villarreal over the weekend. After the final whistle, he appeared to storm down the tunnel without acknowledging the home supporters.
Training absence explained
Now, it's emerged that Alvarez isn't taking part in training ahead of their next game against Sevilla. According to Marca, the 26-year-old is missing training because he has been feeling unwell. However, the timing is certainly interesting given the wider context of his situation at the club.
Arsenal continue to be linked with a late swoop for Alvarez, who remains tied down to Atletico until the summer of 2030. It's claimed the Spanish heavyweights would want around £128million to sell him to the newly-crowned Premier League champions this summer.
Arsenal's internal concerns
However, there are said to be internal concerns at Arsenal over whether Alvarez would be open to a move, given his preference for Barcelona. Mikel Arteta is thought to be seeking assurances that he would genuinely want to play for the north Londoners before pushing ahead with a deal.
A successful swoop would also require Arsenal to balance their finances, with Gabriel Martinelli edging towards a £50m move to Saudi club Al-Hilal in a potential club-record sale. Other reports have suggested that Viktor Gyokeres could be thrown into a part-exchange offer in an attempt to drive down Atletico's asking price.
Alternative target ruled out
Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz has been mentioned as an alternative target if a move for Alvarez proves too expensive, but he needs knee surgery and is expected to stay in Turin for the foreseeable future. Head coach Luciano Spaletti was quick to play down the prospect of an exit over the weekend, saying: "I experience it calmly because the player is Yildiz."
"From my point of view, it's simple, they can offer whatever they want, I want to be able to field Yildiz next season. Yildiz is a guy who is perfect to have mature conversations with. And consequently, he knows very well that he shouldn't rush anything, that he shouldn't speed anything up. His future is already important at Juventus."
"It's not important because someone offers 100 million or because there is a club that has the financial power to spend at this moment. He is already at the club that offers 100 million for him, so we are all very calm."
