Atlético Madrid Draw Line on Julián Álvarez as Liverpool and Chelsea Pursue Late Moves
The clock is ticking on one of the window’s most tangled stories, and Atlético Madrid have had enough. Friday is the deadline. Decide, or stay.
Julián Álvarez, 26, has become the centre of a transfer storm that now has clear boundaries. Atlético chief executive Miguel Ángel Gil Marín has made one thing abundantly clear: the Argentina forward will “never, ever” be sold to Barcelona. That door is bolted shut.
Every other option? Still on the table – but not for long.
Álvarez has missed training for two consecutive days, officially through “illness”, and was booed during a substitute appearance in the draw with Villarreal on Sunday. The tension is obvious. He has been told there is a “zero per cent chance” of joining Barcelona, despite his preference for the Catalan club, and Atlético want his future resolved today so they have time to line up a replacement.
Arsenal are watching closely. He is their top attacking target, and the Gunners are prepared to move late if the stalemate breaks. For now, they wait, sensing an opportunity as one of La Liga’s most important players stands at a crossroads, with his own club daring him to choose.
Atlético’s board has publicly backed the stance. In a strongly worded statement, they insisted they would not negotiate with Barcelona, accusing the Catalan side of failing to act in a “professional, ethical and respectful manner”. They stressed that Atlético remain open to “standard transfer market negotiations” – just not with Barça, and not for Álvarez. The message to their player was pointed: stay focused, as you have for the past two seasons, and help this team chase its goals.
Whether Álvarez accepts that, or pushes for a different exit route, will shape the final days of the window.
Liverpool go big for Barcola and push on Sarr
While Atlético draw red lines, Liverpool are trying to redraw their attack. The club have agreed a £100m fee, with a further £20m in add-ons, with Paris Saint-Germain for Bradley Barcola after the French champions softened their demands. The 23-year-old France winger is set to become the headline act of Jürgen Klopp’s revamped forward line.
Liverpool are not stopping there. They remain determined to bring in Ismaila Sarr from Crystal Palace, even after seeing an initial offer of around £50m rejected. Andoni Iraola wants three more signings before the window closes, including two wide players. Barcola ticks one box. Sarr is still very much the preferred answer for the other.
Liverpool have moved on from Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh after resistance from the south-coast club, but they are not backing away from Sarr. The pursuit continues, and with the club’s recruitment drive now in full sprint, the knock-on effects are already visible.
Cody Gakpo, once seen as a long-term piece of Liverpool’s front line, could yet be sacrificed. Tottenham remain keen, with Roberto De Zerbi pushing Spurs to go after the Dutchman despite a summer spend already beyond £300m. Iraola, asked directly if Gakpo would stay, refused to offer guarantees. “When the market is open, you cannot guarantee anything with anyone,” he said.
Liverpool are buying aggressively. Someone will have to make room.
Chelsea weigh Enzo sale and move for Martínez after Sánchez errors
Across the league, Chelsea are wrestling with a different kind of decision. Enzo Fernández, signed for a British-record fee not so long ago, is now available for the right price. Manchester City are circling.
Chelsea have not yet held talks with City, but the stance is clear: if a suitable offer arrives and they can strengthen elsewhere, they will listen. Enzo was left out of the squad for the Carabao Cup win over Luton on Thursday night, a notable omission at a delicate moment in the market.
Goalkeeper is already an area where Chelsea have moved decisively. After Robert Sánchez’s costly errors in the 3-2 win at Fulham on Monday, the club have agreed a £7.5m deal with Aston Villa for Emiliano Martínez. A World Cup winner, Martínez brings authority and experience to a position that has looked fragile.
Should Enzo depart, Chelsea are ready with a plan in midfield as well. They could turn back to Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, a long-standing target, to reshape the centre of the pitch. The message from Stamford Bridge is pragmatic: no one is untouchable if the deal strengthens the squad as a whole.
Rashford’s United future still in the balance
Not every story is about fresh starts. Some are about second chances.
Marcus Rashford appears to be on the road to full reintegration at Manchester United after his loan spell at Barcelona last season. He came off the bench in the 2-0 defeat to Hull last weekend and has the public backing of Michael Carrick, who wants the academy product to reclaim a central role at Old Trafford.
Yet the market refuses to let go. With the window still open, Rashford’s future is not fully settled. Turkish side Fenerbahce are interested as they prepare for their Champions League campaign, with club president Cihan Kamer keen to hold talks over a possible move.
United must decide whether this is the moment to cash in on a player whose form has fluctuated, or whether the better gamble is to trust that Carrick can restore his edge.
Zirkzee nears Old Trafford exit as Fiorentina move in
One United forward does look closer to the door. Joshua Zirkzee is on the verge of a loan move to Fiorentina, with the Italian club in negotiations over a £4.2m deal that includes an option to buy next summer.
Down the pecking order under Carrick and facing limited game time this season, Zirkzee needs minutes. Fiorentina need goals. The fit is obvious, and both clubs are working to close an agreement that could become permanent if the striker delivers in Serie A.
Nelson’s long Arsenal chapter ends
At Arsenal, one of the longest-running academy stories has quietly reached its final page. Reiss Nelson has left the club after his contract was terminated by mutual consent, ending an 18-year association.
The winger, now 26, made 90 first-team appearances, scoring eight goals and providing nine assists. He lifted the FA Cup in 2020 and featured in Community Shield wins in 2017 and 2020. Before that, he amassed 68 appearances across the youth ranks, signing his first professional deal in December 2016.
Loan spells at Hoffenheim, Feyenoord, Fulham and Brentford charted a career that never quite settled in north London but often hinted at more. Arsenal’s statement thanked Nelson for his contribution and wished him and his family well as he steps into free agency, finally free to choose his own path after nearly two decades in red and white.
Brighton content, but alert
Further down the coast, Brighton are typically calm amid the chaos. Manager Fabian Hürzeler says he is “really happy” with his squad, even as injuries nibble at his options.
“We have a few issues with some injured players. But we're there to find solutions, not complain about anything,” he said. On squad depth, he added that he is “quite happy”, but left the door ajar for late movement. In the next few days, he suggested, anything could happen – as long as the player fits Brighton’s demands on personality, character and style.
For a club that has turned smart, late-window business into an art form, those words carry weight.
Elliott attracting Italian interest
Harvey Elliott knows all about the uncertainty of late-window manoeuvres. After a disappointing loan spell at Aston Villa last season, he is back at Liverpool but not guaranteed to stay there.
Both Lazio and Napoli are monitoring the midfielder, who still carries significant upside at 23. With Liverpool reshaping their attack and squad places at a premium, Elliott could yet be one of the players who finds himself squeezed towards the exit.
The final week of the window rarely deals in half-measures. Atlético are daring Julián Álvarez to choose his future in a single day. Liverpool are betting heavily on wide talent. Chelsea are weighing up the sale of a marquee midfielder. United are deciding what Marcus Rashford really means to them now.
By Tuesday night, some of these clubs will look very different. The question is: who will be brave enough to pull the trigger, and who will be left wishing they had?
