Atletico Madrid Clings to the Services of Alvarez

Atletico Madrid’s Argentine coach, Diego Simeone, has reaffirmed his commitment to retaining the services of his compatriot, international striker Julian Alvarez, and stated that the club will not allow him to leave during the current transfer window, despite interest from Barcelona.

Last month, Atletico filed a complaint with the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) against Barcelona, accusing the Catalan club of attempting to contact Alvarez illegally. The Argentine international’s name has also been linked with a potential move to Arsenal, while Atletico rejected a €150 million ($173.4 million) offer from Real Madrid in June.

Speaking to journalists on the eve of a pre-season friendly against Manchester City in Seoul, Simeone said: “I think the situation is very clear. The club has made a decision, which CEO Miguel Angel has explained very well.” He added: “Sportingly, we are very happy to have a player like Julian. We will help him continue to develop, improve, and keep delivering his best, and he has already given us a lot over the past two years.”

Alvarez is scheduled to join Atletico’s training sessions in two days, after being granted time off following Argentina’s run to the World Cup final, where they lost the title to Spain 1-0 on July 19.