The saga between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid over Julian Alvarez is without a doubt one of the most talked-about storylines of this transfer window. While it seemed the player would leave after publicly stating his desire to be transferred, head coach Diego Simeone made clear that the club’s stance is firm on not letting go of the Argentine.
Simeone didn’t mince words when addressing Alvarez‘s future at Atletico Madrid, delivering a blunt message during his pre-match press conference in Seoul. “The situation is very clear, the club made a decision that Miguel Angel explained very well. We’re very happy with Julian, and from a sporting standpoint we’ll help him keep growing,” Simeone said.
The comments came ahead of Atletico‘s friendly against Manchester City on August 8, with the manager backing the stance already laid out by club shareholder Miguel Angel Gil Marin: Alvarez is not for sale this summer, regardless of the player’s own wishes.
Alvarez himself wasn’t part of the squad in Seoul, still on vacation following Argentina’s run to the World Cup final, with his return to training scheduled for August 10.
Julian Alvarez and Diego Simeone during an Atletico Madrid’s game. (Getty Images)
That timeline sets up a potentially tense reunion between player and club, given his public desire to leave Atletico this summer, with Barcelona long positioned as his preferred destination.
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Despite that friction, Simeone struck a conciliatory tone toward his forward, praising his contributions over the past two seasons and pledging continued support to help him reach his best level, even as the club stands firm on keeping him beyond this transfer window.
The Griezmann precedent
Simeone didn’t shy away from drawing a direct parallel to a situation he’s lived through before. “We’ve been through situations like this before, we saw what happened with Griezmann, I see no other path than to work from the sporting side like it’s on us to do, and try to help like we have these past two years,” he said, pointing to Antoine Griezmann’s own saga at the club.
The Frenchman left Atletico for Barcelona in 2019 amid a similarly public transfer battle, only to return years later — first on loan in 2021, then permanently in 2022 — eventually becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer after working to rebuild trust with the fanbase.
Simeone’s message at the press conference was clear: even if Alvarez’s situation feels unresolved now, history suggests these sagas can still end in the player’s favor at Atletico.
