Arsenal given major boost in pursuit of £128m Julian Alvarez: Atletico chief insists they will 'never' negotiate with Barcelona after being left 'DISGUSTED' with club's pursuit of star

Atletico Madrid chief executive Gil Marin has opened the door for selling striker Julian Alvarez to Arsenal.

Alvarez has not trained for two days citing illness after the club refused to deal with Barcelona, the club he wishes to join.

Atletico underlined their determination not to deal with their La Liga rivals by putting a statement on their website today saying Alvarez would not be sold to Barcelona.

However in an interview with Spanish media, Marin said: 'Our intention is for Julián to stay with us so we can compete with the biggest clubs. If he comes to the conclusion that he doesn’t want to continue in Madrid, we’ll look for a solution. But never with FC Barcelona.

'Julián 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 disgusted by the lack of ethics. We are not going to negotiate with Barcelona. The only firm decision is that we will NOT negotiate.'

Arsenal have made their interest clear.

Atletico Madrid have insisted they will refuse to sell Julian Alvarez to Barcelona this summer

They spoke to Atletico sporting director Mateu Alemany in London last Thursday and reiterated their willingness to buy the Argentina striker for the £128million asking price.

The only obstacle is the player has been unsure about a move back to England with Barcelona his sole focus.

With that door firmly shut, he now has to decide whether to sit it out at Atletico or consider moving to the Premier League champions.