Barcelona top target only wants to move to Camp Nou amid Arsenal interest – Romano | OneFootball

Time is running out for Barcelona in their quest to sign Atletico Madrid superstar Julian Alvarez.

Although Atleti are getting pressurised with each passing minute, the club still remain keen on holding on to their star player and prevent him from joining a direct rival.

In the background, a Premier League club are now waiting on the wings, hoping to maximise in case Alvarez ends up leaving Atleti in the final week of the transfer market.

Arsenal interested but Alvarez is not

Alvarez is not keen on joining Arsenal. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

As reported by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are keeping a close eye on the Alvarez situation, ready to pounce should the Argentine open the door to a move to England.

However, Romano is clear that Alvarez’s stance has not changed. As things stand, the striker only wants to join Barcelona and has said no to Arsenal, with his heart firmly set on a switch to Catalonia.

The Gunners, for their part, have simply asked to be kept informed. Their message is that while they respect both the player’s price tag and his desire to join Barcelona, they want to be ready to act should Alvarez have a change of heart over the next eight days.

For now, though, there is no substantial update on the Barcelona front, with the saga continuing to drag on.

Alvarez back in the Atletico fold

Barcelona are in a race against time to sign Alvarez. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

The only fresh development, according to Romano, is that Alvarez has been called up for Atletico’s home opener.

That makes the fixture one to watch closely, particularly to gauge the reaction of the Atletico fans towards a player who has made no secret of his wish to leave.

His presence in the squad also underlines Diego Simeone’s intention to keep counting on him despite the ongoing uncertainty.

The clock is now ticking, with Barcelona in a genuine race against time to finalise a new striker before the window shuts.

Atletico, meanwhile, find themselves under maximum pressure, with Simeone having recently insisted that people are trying to create conflict around the situation.

Whether Barcelona can force a breakthrough in the coming days remains to be seen.