Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez is reportedly uncertain about his future at the club, providing a significant boost to Arsenal’s reported transfer ambitions.
The revelation has emerged from Alvarez’s own team-mate Marcos Llorente, who admitted he does not know what the Argentine forward plans to do this summer.
Llorente told El Partidazo de COPE that he remains in the dark over his colleague’s intentions, stating “neither does he, as things stand today.”
“I don’t ask him,” Llorente added. “He seems fine to me, but maybe he wants to leave and we don’t know.”
Spanish outlet Cadena SER has also suggested Alvarez has signalled his desire to depart Atletico Madrid, further fuelling speculation around the 26-year-old’s future.
Arsenal are among the clubs understood to have registered an interest in the former Manchester City forward, who could command a transfer fee of up to £90million.
Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are also competing for his signature, with PSG reportedly willing to table a bid exceeding £86million for the striker.
PSG manager Luis Enrique is even understood to have made direct contact with Alvarez in an attempt to push a deal forward ahead of the summer window.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has also entered the race publicly, declaring that finances are not a concern when it comes to pursuing the Argentine.
Alvarez has netted 49 goals across two campaigns in Spain and played a key role in Atletico’s run to the Champions League semi-finals, where they were eliminated by Arsenal.
A report from the Guardian suggested that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has identified a new striker as his primary objective as the club look to build on their first Premier League title in 22 years.
Atletico manager Diego Simeone was also pressed on Alvarez’s future and gave a response that is said to have sparked concern among those in Madrid.
“That’s not a question for me, it’s a question for Julian,” Simeone said. “He’s old enough to know what he’s going to do, and I imagine he’ll have made up his mind by now.”
Alvarez remains under contract with Atletico until 2030 and is thought to possess a release clause of approximately £433million, though that figure is unlikely to be triggered by any interested party.
Prior to the Champions League semi-final second leg against Arsenal, Alvarez himself attempted to play down the speculation surrounding his next move.
“I try not to pay too much attention to what they say, because the truth is that new things come up every week,” he said, adding that he cannot “come out to clarify or deny everything that comes up all the time.”
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