Atletico Madrid have reportedly delivered a final ultimatum to Julian Alvarez, setting him a deadline to decide whether he wants to complete a move to Arsenal or remain at the Metropolitano. The Argentina forward is still considering his options during a period of major uncertainty, having already been told that a possible transfer to Barcelona is not on the table.

Atletico issue final ultimatum

The Atletico Madrid hierarchy has grown tired of the continuing speculation around their star attacker and, according to Sky Sports, has fixed Sunday as the deadline for the player to decide his future. Despite strong interest from outside, the club has firmly ruled out a move within Spain, saying in a blunt response that there is a 'zero per cent chance' of selling him to Barca. Describing themselves as the 'only victims' damaged both financially and socially by what they called a campaign of lies, Atletico stressed that the matter is no longer about money, but about dignity.

Chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin has also spoken about the effect the situation is having on the striker, who has not trained for several days. Gil Marin said: '[Julian] is really struggling. There were people who misled him, who left him confused, and the truth is that I deeply regret it. I know him, I've been working with him for some time, and he is a great person, a great professional and an excellent footballer. He is completely confused and, at the moment, he is going through a very difficult situation, both personally and professionally.'

Barcelona remain in the race

In spite of Atletico's strong stance, Barcelona president Joan Laporta has publicly confirmed that the Catalan club are still seriously interested in the forward. Hansi Flick sees the Argentine as the ideal replacement for Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, who have departed.

Laporta addressed the tension directly, saying: 'Before anything, we have the utmost respect for Atletico de Madrid and a personal appreciation for their executives as well, because we've known each other for many years. This whole situation has created a lot of noise. This is not motivated by actions taken by Barca. It is motivated by the fact that Atletico told us they were not selling (Alvarez).'

He also restated Barcelona's interest, adding: 'In case Atletico de Madrid want to sell the player, we are very interested in buying Julian Alvarez. We would like our offer to be accepted. We say it with all the respect towards Atletico, but we want them to know that if they are open to selling him before the end of the summer transfer window, we would be willing to buy him.'

Arteta plays down Arsenal interest

In England, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has had to answer questions about a possible move for the 26-year-old. While the Gunners are reportedly keeping track of the situation, they have not made any formal move so far, as the player has not shown a clear desire to return to the Premier League, having also recently turned down the possibility of going back to Manchester City. At the same time, the uncertainty over his future is already affecting matters on the pitch, with Atletico boss Diego Simeone confirming that Alvarez will miss this weekend's match against Sevilla after failing to train with the squad over the past three days.

The Arsenal manager said he prefers to be transparent with his players: 'Very simple. Whatever you read, if you have a question, come and knock on my door, and I will tell you whether it is true or not. Because a player in any position, if they read it, we could put a catalogue on the walls about all the players that we wanted in the last three months, and we would need the whole building. They know that there's so much speculation. So if ever they feel the doubt of what we think about them, and if we're going to recruit a player, I tell them straight away.'

The final stretch of the window

With the transfer deadline drawing closer, the situation is still changing. Arsenal appear willing to wait for a signal from the player's camp before entering formal talks, while Barcelona are hoping the player's wish to move to Catalonia will eventually force Atletico's hand. Arteta added: 'And if we're going to sign somebody in their position, I normally tell them. I say: "These are the plans and the reasons. We still believe in you, but the competition is going to increase". I prefer to do it that way.'