Julian Alvarez has reportedly refused to answer a phone call from Mikel Arteta as the Arsenal manager attempts to persuade the striker to join the Premier League champions. According to Spanish outlet El Chiringuito, Alvarez is remaining steadfast in his desire to join Barcelona, dealing another blow to Arteta's summer transfer plans.
Arsenal are keen to sign a superstar forward this summer and are making space in their squad by sanctioning the sale of Gabriel Martinelli to Al-Hilal. The Gunners expect to generate at least £50million once the Brazil international's departure is confirmed, which would go around halfway to raising the funds necessary to pull off an unlikely deal for Alvarez.
Arteta's summer of rejection continues
Arteta has already seen the likes of Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior evade his clutches over the course of the last two months, while Paris Saint-Germain's Bradley Barcola is understood to prefer a move to Liverpool. Reports over the weekend suggested Alvarez had softened his stance towards Arsenal after he was jeered by his own fans during Sunday's 2-2 draw against Villarreal.
However, those hopes appear to have been dashed. El Chiringuito's exclusive, reported by journalist Josep Pedrerol, claims that Arteta attempted to make personal contact with Alvarez, but the player opted against picking up the phone. The tweet from El Chiringuito TV read: "ARTETA called JULIÁN... and he didn't even pick up the phone. Barça trusts that Gil Marín will swallow his pride... and sell Julián to them."
Atletico Madrid's stance and Barcelona's interest
With the funds available and KSE prepared to back their manager, Arsenal have the wherewithal to meet Atletico's demands, but the player is said to remain fixated on the idea of Barcelona. Atletico, for their part, remain adamant they will not sell to their Spanish rivals and, as such, expect the player to be reintegrated into Diego Simeone's first team squad should he opt against joining Arsenal.
That prospect looks a remote one at present given the damage Alvarez's conduct has caused. His behaviour has led former France international Christophe Dugarry to brand him 'an idiot'. Dugarry told RMC: "The player and his entourage are idiots. How can you declare 'I want to leave the club'? Is he stupid, or what?"
Dugarry criticises Alvarez's conduct
Dugarry continued: "The best way to leave isn't to do that. Shut up, be modest, be intelligent in your communication. Didn't you see what happened with Griezmann? Don't you know your management? Don't you know your fans? A player who wants to leave should be allowed to leave. After that, it creates more problems than anything else. I also believe that there needs to be respect on both sides."
The former France international added: "The first thing to do when you want to try and reach an agreement is not to spit on your fans, on your club. The way you're doing it, you're completely off base and you're going to get it back in your face. That kid's going to have to work hard. He's put a ball and chain on his ankle and it's going to be difficult to turn things around. What a huge mistake!"
With the transfer window still open, Arsenal's pursuit of Alvarez appears to be at an impasse. The club's ability to generate funds through Martinelli's sale shows their intent, but the player's refusal to engage with Arteta suggests a move to north London is unlikely. Barcelona remain confident of securing the striker, while Atletico are prepared to reintegrate him into the squad if a deal cannot be reached.
