Arsenal plans Alvarez transfer after Arteta talks

Julian Alvarez remains at the center of a high-stakes transfer saga involving Atletico Madrid, Arsenal and Barcelona, with Atletico signalling a firm deadline for the player to declare his future by Sunday and openness to selling for the right price. He has been sidelined by illness and booed by his own fans in recent weeks, delaying his return to Atletico’s first team. Atletico have ruled out a move to Barcelona and indicated they could strike a deal with Arsenal if Alvarez wants to move and the terms are right. Despite Arsenal’s interest, Alvarez has told Mikel Arteta that he does not want to join them at the moment, though such positions can change in football’s fluid transfer market. Reports from intermediaries and insiders suggest Atletico would be willing to facilitate a club-to-club agreement with Arsenal under the right circumstances. The situation has been described as dynamic, with little consensus on Alvarez’s preferred destination and ongoing public and private comments from various sources.