Atletico Madrid forward, Julian Alvarez has declined a return to Manchester City, with the striker reiterating his desire not to return to the Premier League.
The Argentina international finds himself in a tense standoff with Atletico Madrid, which has escalated into the most significant transfer saga of the summer.
Alvarez is Arsenal’s number one target and is viewed as a coveted signing in north London.
However, the striker is eager to join Barcelona, who made an unsuccessful €100 million (£86 million) bid earlier this summer.
Atletico, however, are unwilling to engage in negotiations with the Catalan club, reaffirming this week that there is a “zero per cent chance” of the player being sold to their La Liga rivals.
Amid this deadlock, Marca reported on Friday that City are interested in re-signing the striker they sold to Atletico two summers ago for £82 million.
Nevertheless, Cadena SER reports that the 26-year-old has “categorically rejected” a return to the Etihad Stadium, having previously turned down Arsenal on “multiple occasions”.
City reached out to Atletico to convey their interest, but before they could even make an offer, Alvarez informed the Premier League club that he does not wish to return to Manchester.
Throughout the summer, Alvarez has maintained that he does not want to return to England.
While reports from Spain this week have indicated that he is becoming increasingly aware that Arsenal are his only option should he leave Atletico, the report suggests he remains resolute in his desire to stay in Spain.
Alvarez’s reluctance to return to England is believed to be largely unrelated to football. It is thought that the Argentine is cognisant of specific visa regulations that would complicate his family’s ability to visit him in the UK, a situation he does not face in Spain.