Julian Alvarez's 'secret meeting' emerges with 'promise made' to star

The Gunners have not given up hope of signing the unsettled striker, with a fee of £128million being mooted. The former Manchester City star is also wanted by Barcelona - who are believed to be his number one choice - but Atletico are reluctant to sell to a direct rival.

Having expressed his wish to leave Metropolitano Stadium, Alvarez was booed by fans during Atletico's 2-2 draw with Villarreal, which may have pushed him closer to the exit door. In what has become one of football's transfer sagas of the summer, a Spanish pundit has made an eye-opening claim about a "promise made" during a meeting between Alvarez and Atleti CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin.

On the popular El Chiringuito show, pundit Jota Jordi said: "Amazonico restaurant. That's where it happened; two people, Gil Marin and Julian Alvarez, and the promise was made." He added that "terms were agreed upon" over his departure.

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He claimed that one of the terms, at the club's request, required Alvarez to announce during the World Cup that he wanted to leave Atletico.

Jordi also said: "Having a player who is being insulted and underperforming, with trouble brewing with the fans at every home game and team-mates feeling uncomfortable, all while he's on a high salary…

"After all, you know, just as many of us do, that a promise was made to him. And you are telling him to speak out publicly and express his wishes?"

Another pundit on the show, Damian Gonzalez, had a slightly different version of events. He claimed several meetings had taken place between Alvarez, Gil Marin and the player's representatives. He said there was a wish for Alvarez's announcement to be made following the World Cup, not during it.

Gonzalez claimed that Atletico told Alvarez: "If you want to leave, and an offer comes in that interests Atlético de Madrid, we'll see what happens."

Amid fiery debate, Jordi shot back: "Hold on, that changes everything, the whole picture has just changed. You've changed the narrative you've been sticking to for three months. You're proving me right, they said, 'We're going to help you.'"

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