Arsenal have been handed a fresh boost in their pursuit of Julian Alvarez after Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil admitted a move to a club other than Barcelona could still happen before the summer transfer deadline.
Alvarez remains Arsenal's number one target heading into the final days of the window, with the club ready to launch a big-money move for the striker. However, they will only do so if they receive sufficient encouragement from the player's camp, which has not yet been forthcoming with the market due to close at 11pm BST on Tuesday night.
Barcelona pursuit rejected
Alvarez has been public with his desire to complete a dream move to Barcelona, who were said to have revived their push for the Argentina international in the final week of the window after failing with an offer worth €100million (£85.7m) earlier this summer.
Atletico have been left furious with their LaLiga rivals' pursuit of Alvarez and released another strong statement on Thursday in which they reiterated once again that they would not consider selling the player to Barcelona - a decision they said had received unanimous support from the club's board of directors.
Alvarez open to Premier League return
Alvarez, meanwhile, was said to be becoming more open to the idea of a potential return to the Premier League, having won a plethora of major silverware during two seasons at Manchester City after first arriving in Europe from River Plate in 2022.
The 26-year-old - who is under contract at the Metropolitano Stadium until 2030 - has now missed two consecutive days of Atletico training due to illness, having received a hostile reception from the club's own fans as he returned for Diego Simeone's side off the bench during Sunday's LaLiga clash with Villarreal.
CEO admits alternative exit possible
Arsenal's hopes of signing Alvarez now appear to have been boosted again after Gil admitted that a move to a club other than Barcelona could yet be on the cards.
"My personal dream is for Julian Alvarez to stay at Atleti," he told Movistar in Spain. "If he wants to leave the club, we will look for an alternative, but he will never, ever, ever go to Barcelona."
"Julian is in poor health. There are people who have taken it upon themselves to deceive and confuse him, and he is going through a difficult situation. We are outraged and repulsed by this lack of ethics. We are not going to negotiate with Barcelona. The only firm decision is that we will not negotiate."
