Alvarez’s Absence and Transfer Situation
Julian Alvarez, the Atletico Madrid forward, will not travel with the squad for Saturday’s La Liga match against Sevilla. Manager Diego Simeone confirmed Alvarez’s absence, stating the player is not in good health, having missed three consecutive training sessions. This comes amidst ongoing uncertainty surrounding Alvarez’s future at the Spanish club.
Atletico Madrid has made it clear they will not sell Alvarez to Barcelona. The club released two public statements within 24 hours, reiterating their stance against a move to their La Liga rivals. Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil stated that while his personal dream is for Alvarez to stay, if the player wishes to leave, an alternative will be sought, but a transfer to Barcelona is not an option.
Gil expressed outrage and repulsion at what he described as a lack of ethics from Barcelona regarding their pursuit of Alvarez. He emphasised that Atletico Madrid would not negotiate with Barcelona, and there is zero consideration for such a transfer. Reports indicate that Barcelona‘s actions have harmed Atletico Madrid both financially and socially.
Potential Move to Arsenal and Club Stance
With a move to Barcelona ruled out, a transfer to Arsenal appears to be the striker’s only potential exit. Alvarez is reportedly considering a switch to the Premier League club. However, Arsenal believes signing Alvarez is very unlikely before the transfer deadline and would require strong encouragement from the player to initiate negotiations with Atletico Madrid.
There is ongoing dialogue between Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta and Atletico CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin, who previously worked together at Atletico Madrid and maintain a close relationship. Despite this, Arsenal‘s position on Alvarez has not changed, and they view a transfer as improbable.
Atletico Madrid is already exploring contingency plans for a new striker. One player reportedly on their radar is Arsenal‘s Viktor Gyokeres, as the Spanish club aims to assess Arsenal‘s openness to selling the Sweden international. Another player, Nicolas Jackson, who was of interest to Atletico, is reportedly heading to Aston Villa.
Simeone’s Perspective and Squad Impact
Manager Diego Simeone addressed the situation, stating that from the moment Alvarez returns to training, he will do everything to make him feel important. Simeone also noted that as long as one has their health, any situation can be turned around. He acknowledged that questions about Alvarez would dominate his news conference but insisted the club had been forceful and clear in explaining the situation.
Simeone expressed his hope, from a sporting perspective, to help Alvarez continue to be a very important player for the team. He also confirmed that Alexander Sorloth, another attacking option, is unavailable due to injury, which further impacts the squad. Simeone stated that Sorloth’s absence hurts the team, and in this situation with Alvarez, it has much more impact.
Despite the uncertainties, Simeone rejected concerns that Alvarez’s situation would affect the squad’s performance. He noted that the players are working well, especially those who participated in the World Cup. The team has played good matches against Malaga and Villarreal and is focused on performing well against Sevilla. New defender Cristian Romero, who joined Atletico from Tottenham for 40m euros this summer, will travel with the squad to Sevilla, though Simeone indicated he needs time to find his best form.
Source: bbc.com