Arsenal refuse to give up on Julian Alvarez as he skips Atletico Madrid training for second time

Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez has missed a second day of training due to ‘illness’ as Arsenal’s hopes of luring the forward to north London intensify.

The Argentinian forward is desperate for a move away from Diego Simeone’s side, with Barcelona his dream destination.

But Atletico are refusing to entertain any such prospect of a sale to their Spanish rivals.

It leaves the forward with the option of staying or moving to Arsenal, who have long courted the player.

As Daily Mail Sport reported earlier in the year, Gunners staff were tasked with gathering data on Alvarez to assess whether he would fit the team’s required profile.

That included his injury record, physiological numbers and playing output. The result was emphatic: he fits the requirements of Arsenal’s team, and Arteta wants him.

It makes Alvarez’s absence from training all the more intriguing, with the north London club ready to act should an opening ready to present itself.

Alvarez was mercilessly booed before, during and after Atletico’s La Liga opener against Villarreal.

Simeone clarified after the game that Alvarez was under strict orders to not clap the fans following the clash, as he went straight down the tunnel.

Now the 26-year-old has failed to turn up for training again.

With just days left of the transfer window, Atletico outlined their stance and sent a brutal message to Barcelona.

'The player is being portrayed as a victim, but the only victim of the Julian case is us,' they told Spanish outlet Marca.

'They have harmed us economically and socially. There is a zero per cent chance of selling him to Barca.

'This situation is not about money, it's about dignity. There is a campaign with many lies and half-truths that has been created.

'The only one who pays for this is Atletico.'

Alvarez has scored 49 goals in 107 games for Atletico after joining from Manchester City in 2024 for £81million.

Although reports have suggested Barcelona are Alvarez's preferred destination, Atletico's stance could open the door to a move to Arsenal, with the Argentine not ruling out that option after being left stunned by the reaction of his own fans on Sunday.

Atletico have remained steadfast in their position that he is not for sale throughout the summer, with CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin saying last month that the club would not entertain any offers for the striker, even in the region of £170million, although it is believed an offer of around €150m (£130m) from the Gunners could be accepted.

Alvarez has a £428m release clause and Atletico have already rejected a £129m bid from bitter rivals Real Madrid.

Marca adds that Atletico are frustrated with the situation after Alvarez rejected the offer of a bumper new deal in March, while he also refused to adhere to their deadline for a summer move of June 20.

The saga has continually grown since Alvarez's comments during the World Cup when he expressed his desire to leave the LaLiga outfit in order to 'fulfil my dream'.

'I try to be an honest person,' he said while representing his nation. 'I spoke with the people at Atletico Madrid, and I think the best thing for everyone is a transfer. I want to fulfil my dream.'

Speaking earlier on Wednesday, Barcelona president Joan Laporta added further fuel to the fire when he insisted the Catalan side were still desperate to bring in Alvarez after reports circulated about him joining Arsenal.

'This whole situation has created a lot of noise,' he said. 'This is not motivated by actions taken by Barca. It is motivated by the fact that Atletico told us they were not selling (Alvarez).

'However, it looks like, from what we hear now (Atletico reportedly being open to selling Alvarez to Arsenal), they are trying to reach agreements with other clubs.

'We approach them to see if they want to sell one of their players. When they tell us they don’t sell, we let it go. But in this case, there are special circumstances that have been made aware that Atletico de Madrid want to sell the player to other clubs.

'With this context, our interest and offer for the player remains up until the end of the window, in case Atletico de Madrid want to sell the player. We are very interested in buying Julian Alvarez.'

During Sunday's game, the encounter was simmering with tension before Alvarez came on as a second-half substitute as he was booed while warming up, jeered again when his name was announced among the substitutes and met with louder whistles when he came on in the 66th minute.

A section of the crowd also chanted: 'Let him leave once and for all, let him leave.'

As the full-time whistle came, the hostility grew even more as the 26-year-old headed straight to the changing room while his team-mates saluted the fans, drawing another heavy round of boos.

Discussing the situation in his post-match press conference, Atletico boss Diego Simeone revealed it was actually the club's decision for Alvarez to not acknowledge supporters.

'The club staff told me that the club decided Julian should not go over with his team-mates to greet the fans, and that it was not Julian's decision.

'The club made the decision to keep him away and have him head to the dressing room. No, I'm not in a position to give advice to the fans. I think I need to focus on my work, which is to give my best on the sporting side for the good of Atletico Madrid.

'The only thing I know is that if Atletico Madrid wants to win a title, we have to be united. We need forwards, and we need important forwards.

'For that, of course, we all have to work in that direction to give the team what it needs.'