Julian Alvarez has returned to Atletico Madrid for pre-season amid continued speculation over his future, with Arsenal among the clubs monitoring the Argentina international.
The striker was among the final Atletico players to report for duty after receiving an extended break following the World Cup final on July 19.
Alvarez resumes training at Atletico
Alvarez underwent medical and fitness assessments alongside Alex Baena, Marcos Llorente and Juan Musso at the High-Performance Sports Medicine Center at Vithas Madrid Arturo Soria University Hospital.
The group will now join Atletico’s preparations at their Majadahonda training base, although they are expected to follow a different programme from teammates who returned earlier.
Alvarez’s return also provides an opportunity for Atletico to address the uncertainty surrounding his future.
The 26-year-old remains one of the most sought-after forwards in Europe, with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain also interested in securing his services.
Barcelona are understood to be Alvarez’s preferred destination, but Atletico have repeatedly maintained that they do not want to sell their star forward.
Arsenal remain interested in striker
Atletico’s reluctance to negotiate with Barcelona has complicated the situation, particularly with the Spanish club reportedly unhappy with the Catalan side’s approach to the transfer.
If Alvarez pushes for an exit, Atletico would reportedly prefer to sell him outside Spain. That could put Arsenal and PSG in a stronger position for the forward.