Julian Alvarez to Arsenal transfer latest as Atletico chief speaks out after five-hour meeting

An Atletico Madrid chief spoke out about Julian Alvarez's ongoing situation as Arsenal made a decision about their pursuit of the striker

Atletico Madrid’s CEO has claimed Julian Alvarez is "doing really badly" and accused those around him of misleading the player into believing a move to Barcelona was possible. The uncertainty surrounding Alvarez’s future has grown into one of the biggest transfer sagas of the summer.

The Argentine striker has repeatedly made it clear that he wants to leave Atletico before September 1. But a simple fact that has drawn out this saga is that Alvarez only wants Barcelona, while Atletico insist they will not sell their talisman to a La Liga rival.

As such, the Premier League champions are the most realistic club to land his signature if the player does move on this summer. But they will not make their move until Alvarez himself makes it clear he wants to be part of Mikel Arteta’s project.

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It seems neither joining Arsenal nor staying in the Spanish capital particularly appeals to Alvarez, who reportedly held a five-hour late night meeting on Wednesday to discuss his future with his inner circle, consisting of his family, agent and legal team. According to Cadena Ser, via Mundo Deportivo, they analysed the situation from every angle until the early hours of the morning.

It is still unclear which of the two remaining pathways was ultimately decided between staying at Atletico, apologising and attempting to mend his relationship with the fans, and returning to England, where immigration restrictions make it hard for the former Manchester City player’s entourage to be with the striker.

There is a long way back if Alvarez opts for the former, having not trained on Wednesday nor Thursday. His relationship with the Atletico fans appeared completely severed when he was jeered and whistled by his own supporters at the Metropolitano Stadium last Sunday, before being advised to head down the tunnel alone at full-time without going over to the fans.

In light of recent events and the burden placed on the 2022 World Cup winner, Miguel Angel Gil Marin, CEO of Atleti, was asked by reporters how Alvarez was feeling. Gil responded by seemingly taking aim at the player’s inner circle.

He said: "Really bad. There have been people who took it upon themselves to mislead and confuse him. I regret it because I know him, we have been working with him for a while, and he is a great person, a great professional, and a great footballer. He is completely confused and he is now having a really bad time personally and professionally."

Gil added that he wants Alvarez to remain at the Metropolitano, where he is under contract until June 30, 2030. The CEO said: "Our intention, and my personal dream, is for him to stay with us, to continue providing his services to Atlético de Madrid. To compete with the big clubs, you need big players."

He nonetheless acknowledged the possibility of him leaving the club, though not for Barcelona. Gil continued: "Obviously, if he were to conclude that being in Madrid and playing for Atletico de Madrid were incompatible, we would look for an alternative, but it would never be for FC Barcelona."

The Atletico chief went on to slam Barcelona’s efforts to lure the player away and voiced his outrage towards the comments made last Wednesday by Barcelona president Joan Laporta. He added: "We are repulsed by the dishonesty, the lack of ethics, the lack of transparency, and the lack of professionalism; we can only insist that we will not negotiate with Barcelona FC under any circumstances.

"I am ultimately responsible for the club's management, and I have the backing and support of everyone working with me, from shareholders to directors, so it is absolutely certain that we will not negotiate with Futbol Club Barcelona under any circumstances. You have my word. As long as I am CEO, the player will certainly not be transferred to Barcelona."