72 decisive hours: a new attempt by Barcelona to complete the Alvarez deal

A final chance

Barcelona are pressing on with their pursuit of Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez, giving themselves no more than two or three days to get the deal done. The Argentine remains their top target to bolster the attack.

According to Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo", Barcelona will throw everything at the Alvarez deal now they have edged closer to signing Rodri and Joao Cancelo. Only the official announcement of both moves remains.

The Catalan club see Alvarez as the perfect fit to fill the gaps left by Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.

Land the Argentine and Barcelona have the finishing touch to a squad they hope can compete for the Champions League once more. That is the trophy their fans crave most after 11 years without it.

Enrique Cerezo and chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin have both rejected the idea in public. Barcelona will try anyway. Diego Simeone left Alvarez out of the squad on Tuesday for Wednesday's game against Malaga at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.

Simeone sided with Gil Marin's stance, yet left Atletico's fans free to voice whatever view they saw fit towards Alvarez.

Over the coming hours and days, Barcelona wait on a resolution to the player's future. Alvarez still dreams of pulling on the Catalan shirt, and he may make a fresh move to make it happen.

The board have fixed the next two or three days as their final deadline to settle the Alvarez file. If no agreement is reached, the sporting management will activate one of the alternatives already on the table.

Alvarez made his own wishes plain during the World Cup, when he said: "I can't hide, the best thing is to leave, I want to achieve my dream."