Atletico Madrid have made it clear that they will not sell Alvarez to Barcelona, releasing two public statements in the space of 24 hours reiterating their stance. The La Liga club communicated privately to Alvarez and his advisors earlier this week that they will not negotiate with the Catalan club over a move for the Argentina international.
The 26-year-old Alvarez has missed two consecutive days of training citing illness. Atletico Madrid are, however, open to selling Alvarez to Arsenal and have held direct talks with the Premier League champions over what would be one of the biggest transfers of the summer. The club are seeking a fee of 150m Euros (£128m) for Alvarez, a figure that has been made clear in direct talks with Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta is desperate to sign Alvarez this month, but the striker's desire to join Barcelona has halted Arsenal's pursuit. Discussions between Atletico and Arsenal over a club-to-club agreement for Alvarez have been positive, and a deal should move quickly if Alvarez gives Arsenal the green light to proceed with his signing.