Atletico Madrid say the Argentina international has been unwell following a poor night's sleep, ruling him out of training on both Wednesday and Thursday, but the timing has done little to calm a saga that has consumed much of the closing weeks of the window.
Ălvarez's preference has long been known to be Barcelona, but AtlĂ©tico responded to Joan Laporta's public confirmation of interest with a pointed statement to Marca.
"The player is being portrayed as a victim, but the only victim of the JuliĂĄn case is us," the club said. "They have harmed us economically and socially.
"There is a zero per cent chance of selling him to Barça. This situation is not about money, it's about dignity.
"There is a campaign with many lies and half-truths that has been created. The only one who pays for this is Atlético."
That leaves Arsenal as the more realistic route out of the Metropolitano, a scenario the north London club have been preparing for since earlier in the year.
Arsenal's recruitment staff were tasked with building a full data profile on Ălvarez months ago, examining his injury record, physiological output and playing statistics before concluding he fit the squad's required profile â with manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta, who signed the striker for AtlĂ©tico during his own time there, both known admirers.
Ălvarez's relationship with AtlĂ©tico's supporters has also soured. He was booed before, during and after the club's LaLiga opener against Villarreal, with head coach Diego Simeone confirming afterwards that the forward had been instructed not to applaud the crowd and left straight down the tunnel at full time.
With days remaining before the deadline, AtlĂ©tico's public stance leaves Ălvarez facing a straightforward choice: stay in Madrid, or accept a move to Arsenal rather than the Barcelona switch he has made clear he wants.