Julian Alvarez has reportedly missed Atletico Madrid training for a second day in a row as a transfer to Arsenal increasingly looks like the solution to this issue.

The Argentina international is a star player for Atletico, so is not someone they’d want to lose, but it seems he’s clearly unhappy and looking to leave.

According to Marca, the reason for Alvarez’s absence remains illness, but this follows weeks of intense speculation over his future.

The report adds that Arsenal looks like perhaps being the most likely solution to finalising this saga, with Barcelona also keen but surely not an option.

Atletico Madrid’s strong message to Barcelona over Julian Alvarez

Julian Alvarez in action for Atletico Madrid (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

In a statement reported by Marca yesterday, Atletico came out fighting and insisted there was a 0% chance they would sell Alvarez to Barca.

“The player is being victimized, but the only victim of the Julián case is us,” the club said in a statement.

“They have harmed us economically and socially. There is 0% chance of selling him to Barça. This situation is not about money, it’s about dignity. There is 0% chance of selling it to Barça.

“There’s a campaign with many lies and half-truths. The only one who pays for this is Atlético.”

There is surely no way now that the club can go back on this and end up looking weak by allowing Alvarez to join Barcelona.

Crucially, they only rule out a sale to the Catalan giants, but not a sale in general, so this is all surely quite hopeful for Arsenal.

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Julian Alvarez should accept Arsenal offer

Alvarez himself has been keen on Barcelona all along, but there’s surely now a case for him strongly considering a move to the Emirates Stadium.

The 26-year-old would be a key player in a winning project under Mikel Arteta, and even if it’s not his preferred move for personal reasons, it’s surely better than staying at Atletico at this point.

Julian Alvarez in the pre-match warm-up for Atletico Madrid (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)

Fans booed the player when he returned to the pitch at the weekend, and it’s hard to see him having any kind of future there after this saga.

Arsenal may now be his only way out, and it’s surely time for him to come to terms with this and come back to the Premier League, where he previously had a successful spell with Manchester City.