Atletico Madrid have given Julian Alvarez until Sunday to make a decision: open up to the idea of a move to Arsenal or stay at the club.
According to Sky Sports, Alvarez is considering his options after being told repeatedly by the club that he will not be joining Barcelona.
The Argentina striker has not yet indicated a willingness to seriously consider a move to the Premier League champions.
Those close to the situation in Spain also believe that the longer it continues without clarity from Alvarez, the more likely he is to remain where he is.
Atletico manager Diego Simeone has confirmed that Alvarez will not play against Sevilla this weekend, having not trained for the last three days.
The club’s CEO, Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, said today: “[Julián] 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.”
Transfer: Atletico Madrid give Alvarez deadline to decide on Arsenal move