Julian Alvarez has been omitted from Atletico Madrid’s squad for their upcoming friendly against Marseille, adding to speculation about the striker’s future at the Spanish club.

The Argentine forward has only recently returned to preseason preparations and has completed five days of physical training.

His absence from the squad is therefore partly linked to his limited preparation, although reports of possible interest from Barcelona have intensified attention around his situation.

According to the report provided by Vanguard, Alvarez is said to be considering an exit from Atletico and has reportedly shown interest in joining Barcelona.

The 26-year-old is also understood to have held discussions with Atletico manager Diego Simeone, during which he allegedly indicated that he was uncertain about continuing with the club.

Alvarez’s representatives have reportedly sought an urgent meeting with Atletico chief executive Miguel Ángel Gil Marín to discuss the situation.

The meeting has yet to take place, with the club executive reportedly away from Madrid.

Several other Atletico players are also expected to miss the Marseille friendly as they continue their preseason preparations.

Rodrigo De Paul, Marcos Llorente and Juan Musso are among those not expected to feature, while Alexander Sørloth remains unavailable because of an injury.

Despite the growing uncertainty, Simeone reportedly continues to regard Alvarez as an important part of his plans and still sees him as the team’s leading striker.

The situation could become clearer when Atletico begin their La Liga campaign against Malaga on August 19, with returning players expected to be assessed for match fitness before the fixture.