Obed Vargas left out of Atletico Madrid squad as Alaves negotiate his arrival

Two straight matches left out of the squad, and a third one shaping up the same way. That's all you need to know to understand where things stand for Obed Vargas at Atletico Madrid. The Mexican midfielder is training normally at the Ciudad Deportiva in Majadahonda, but Diego Pablo Simeone hasn't called him up for either the match against Malaga or the one against Villarreal, and everything suggests he won't make the list for the trip to Sevilla next Saturday at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan either.

The situation is similar, with some nuances, for Thomas Lemar. The Frenchman also hasn't been called up in the last two matchdays, though both players did get minutes during preseason friendlies. The difference is that Lemar is being pushed out for footballing and squad-planning reasons, while Vargas is being pushed by something more concrete: an offer that exists but hasn't yet come together.

Alaves in the race for Vargas

According to multiple sources consulted by ESPN, Alaves have been trying to close a deal for the Mexican since Friday. The interest is real, but negotiations are moving slowly, and the player's future remains unresolved just days before the transfer window closes on September 1. The key, according to those same sources, could lie in Vitoria: the Basque club first needs to sell Antonio Blanco to another team to free up the room needed to complete the Vargas deal.

While that gets sorted out, the Mexican continues training in Majadahonda like any other member of the squad, waiting for news. He's not an isolated case in the Atletico locker room. Jose Maria Gimenez and Carlos Martin also appear on the list of possible departures this summer. The difference with Vargas and Lemar is notable, because both Gimenez and Martin have been called up by Simeone for the last two matches, minutes included, and in Carlos Martin's case he even started against the Andalusian side.

That distinction is no coincidence. When a player stops making matchday squads while still training with the group, it's usually a pretty clear sign that the club is already working on a departure. And that's exactly what's happening with Obed Vargas: at 20 years old, with experience in MLS before arriving in Spain and with the Mexican national team as a reference point in his career, the midfielder could find in Spanish soccer the continuity that, for now, he isn't getting at Atletico.

The countdown to the transfer deadline is tightening. If Alaves resolve their own pending departure, the Vargas deal could come together within days. If not, the Mexican will keep training in Majadahonda, matchday after matchday, waiting on a decision that doesn't depend on him alone.