Julian Alvarez has reportedly asked Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone to allow him to leave the club and join Barcelona, but the Argentine manager has rejected the request.
According to an exclusive report by Spanish journalist Jose Alvarez Haya of La Sexta, Alvarez held another discussion with Simeone today in an attempt to push through a move to Barcelona.
The report claims the forward directly told Simeone that he wanted to play for the Catalan club. Simeone is said to have refused the request and instructed Alvarez to take the matter to Atletico Madrid’s board instead.
Jose Alvarez Haya reported: “the forward has submitted a transfer request, telling Simeone that he wants to play for Barcelona. Simeone rejected him and told him to talk to the board.”
The report indicates that the disagreement is centred on Alvarez’s desire to leave Atletico Madrid, rather than on a lack of support from Simeone. The manager is understood to remain keen to keep the forward and believes he is still needed by the team.
French journalist Sebastian Vidal has also backed the claims, saying Alvarez’s preference is specifically to join Barcelona. Vidal reported that the forward had again told Simeone he wanted to leave Atletico Madrid during their latest conversation.
Simeone’s response, according to the reports, was that he still needs Alvarez and does not want him to depart. The head coach therefore appears unwilling to approve the transfer himself, leaving the player to raise the issue with the club’s board.
The latest claims suggest that Alvarez has repeated his position despite Simeone’s opposition. They do not state whether Atletico Madrid’s board has agreed to consider the request or whether Barcelona has made a formal offer.
The reports were presented as an update on the forward’s situation at Atletico Madrid, with both Jose Alvarez Haya and Sebastian Vidal indicating that his preferred destination is Barcelona. Simeone, however, remains opposed to the player’s departure and has made clear that he considers Alvarez an important part of his plans.
No further details were provided about the proposed transfer, the timing of any possible move or the board’s response to the request. For now, the reported dispute leaves Alvarez seeking approval from Atletico Madrid’s hierarchy after Simeone declined to sanction his departure.
