Julian Alvarez has skipped Atletico Madrid training after being told privately the club will not sell him to Barcelona, leaving a switch to Arsenal as his most likely exit route.
BBC Sport understands Atletico informed Alvarez and his representatives earlier this week that they will not enter negotiations with the Catalan club for the Argentina forward.
Since then, the 26-year-old has missed two straight training sessions, citing illness.
Within 24 hours, the La Liga side also issued two public statements, reiterating that Alvarez will not be allowed to complete a move to Barca in the coming days.
Atletico are, however, open to selling Alvarez to Arsenal and have held direct talks with the Premier League champions about what could be one of the summer’s biggest transfers.
Atleti director Mateu Alemany was in London last week, where he is believed to have met with Arsenal officials—and made clear the club would seek a 150m euro (£128m) fee.
Mikel Arteta is eager to bring Alvarez in this month, but the striker’s strong preference for Barcelona has slowed Arsenal’s pursuit.
Even so, discussions between Atletico and Arsenal over a club-to-club agreement have been positive.
Should Alvarez give Arsenal the go-ahead in the coming days, the deal is expected to progress quickly.
On Wednesday, responding to comments from Barcelona president Joan Laporta that they still want Alvarez, Atletico issued a statement saying there was “zero chance” of selling him to Barca.
The following day, Atletico’s board reinforced the position, announcing that its members had unanimously backed the decision not to negotiate Julian Alvarez’s transfer to FC Barcelona.