Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone says the club has made a clear decision over Julian Alvarez’s future and intends to keep helping the Argentina striker develop, despite his reported wish to leave this summer.
Alvarez has expressed a desire to move on from Atletico Madrid in search of a new challenge. However, the club’s leadership remains committed to retaining the forward, who joined them amid continued interest from several of Europe’s leading sides.
Barcelona are understood to be the strongest candidates to sign Alvarez, while he has also been linked with Real Madrid, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain. Atletico’s position, however, is that the player will remain part of Simeone’s plans.
Speaking at a news conference, Simeone said the club’s stance had already been made clear by its leadership.
“The situation is very clear. The institution has taken a decision which Miguel Angel explained very well. From a sporting point of view, we are very happy to have a player like Julian, and we will help him so that he can continue to grow and improve,” said the Atletico manager.
Simeone’s comments provide the clearest indication yet that Atletico do not intend to make Alvarez available, despite the uncertainty surrounding the player’s future and the reported interest from Barcelona and other clubs.
The manager also compared the situation with Alvarez to Antoine Griezmann’s time at Atletico. The France international left the club before later returning, with Simeone saying Griezmann had needed to demonstrate his quality and status again on the pitch.
“We lived through a period with Griezmann during these years in which he had to leave and then come back, and he had to prove on the pitch the quality and standing that he possesses,” Simeone said.
The Atletico boss added that he saw no alternative to addressing Alvarez’s situation through football rather than through continued speculation over a transfer.
“I do not see any other way forward with Julian than to work from the sporting side,” he said.
Simeone’s remarks leave Atletico’s position apparently unchanged: the club values Alvarez highly and plans to support his progress, while maintaining that the decision over his future has already been taken internally.
For now, that stance places the emphasis on the player’s role on the pitch rather than on the growing list of clubs connected with him. Barcelona remain the most prominent name among those interested, with Real Madrid, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain also linked with a move.
