Atletico Madrid have submitted a loan proposal to Juventus for forward Jonathan David, according to Fabrizio Romano. The move comes as Julian Alvarez continues to push for a fresh challenge away from the club, with Arsenal among those monitoring the situation.
The Argentine has missed three training sessions this week and did not feature in Atletico's 3-1 win over Sevilla on Saturday night. Arsenal remain one of the leading contenders to sign the 26-year-old, who has been issued an ultimatum by the La Liga side.
Alvarez given deadline to decide future
Atletico are said to have given Alvarez until Sunday to decide his future and confirm whether he is prepared to move to Arsenal or remain at the club. He has been outspoken about his desire to join Barcelona, but Atletico have made it clear that selling to a direct rival is not an option.
"Our intention and my personal dream is for him to stay with us, to remain at Atletico," Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin told Spanish broadcaster Movistar Plus. "To compete among the greats, you need great players, and Julian is one. If he believes that staying at Atletico Madrid is no longer feasible, we will look for an alternative, but it will never, ever be Barcelona."
David receptive to La Liga move
With a departure still on the cards before the transfer deadline, Atleti have lodged a loan proposal to Juventus for David. The offer is believed to feature a buy option clause. Discussions are continuing as the clubs iron out the finer points of the proposal, though the Canada international is receptive to joining the La Liga outfit. Juventus, however, must first line up a replacement before any transfer can be completed.
Arsenal remain in pursuit of a marquee forward, having already been knocked back by Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior - the former securing a £117million move to Chelsea while the latter chose to remain at Real Madrid. Their striking options are becoming increasingly limited, with Gabriel Martinelli having agreed a switch to Al-Hilal and Gabriel Jesus also on the verge of completing a transfer to Barcelona.
Arsenal hope for change of heart
Arsenal will be hoping Barcelona's pursuit of Jesus persuades Alvarez to consider alternative destinations. He is understood to have informed Mikel Arteta during discussions between the pair that he was not interested in joining Arsenal. Whether that position changes now that a Barcelona move appears off the cards remains to be seen.
Following reports of Arteta's conversation with Alvarez surfacing, the Spaniard was questioned in his press conference about whether he had held talks with the Gunners' target. Arteta replied: "Don't go there."
Arsenal return to Premier League action on Monday, making the trip to the West Midlands to face Aston Villa (8pm kick-off).
