Julian Alvarez has told his Atletico de Madrid team-mates that his commitment to the club comes before any desire to join Barcelona, in a significant change of tone over his future.
The Argentina forward has acknowledged that he handled the speculation surrounding Barcelona’s interest in him incorrectly, according to Spanish radio station Cadena SER. His comments suggest he is beginning to accept that a move to the Catalan club will not happen through a transfer deal.
Atletico have consistently refused to allow Alvarez to leave, while the player had remained attached to the ambition of moving to Barcelona. However, the latest developments indicate that the 26-year-old is now adapting to the possibility of staying in Madrid.
Journalist Miguel Martin Talavera, speaking on the programme El Larguero, said Alvarez had discussed the situation with his colleagues in the Atletico dressing room.
“Alvarez spoke with his team-mates and told them that his commitment to the shirt is complete, and that as long as he remains at Atletico de Madrid, whether that is for a year, three years or even two days, the club comes before anything else,” Talavera said.
The importance of the conversation, according to Talavera, lies in the fact that Alvarez had not previously admitted this to his team-mates in such direct terms. Nor had he expressed his position in this way while the uncertainty over his future continued.
The journalist said the forward’s admission “completely rules out any possibility of a revolt”, following speculation that Alvarez could attempt to force a departure if Atletico continued to block his preferred move to Barcelona.
“He spoke with his team-mates in the last few hours and told them that his commitment to Atletico is more important than anything else,” Talavera added. “He admitted that he had made a mistake, particularly in the way and manner in which he expressed his position.”
The comments do not necessarily mean Alvarez has abandoned his ambition to play for Barcelona. Talavera stressed that the striker may still want the move, but now understands that it is not likely to be achieved through a conventional transfer.
“Alvarez now understands that he will not move to Barcelona through a transfer deal,” Talavera said. “I think he is getting closer and closer to backing down from his position.”
The report brings a notable shift in a long-running saga surrounding the former Manchester City forward. Atletico’s refusal to sanction his departure had left the player’s future uncertain, while speculation had grown over whether he might take a stronger stance in response.
For now, however, Alvarez appears to be moving towards accepting his situation at Atletico de Madrid and has sought to reassure his team-mates that his loyalty to the club remains intact.
