Diego Simeone confirms Atletico Madrid will not sell Julian Alvarez to Barcelona – “It is more than clear” | OneFootball

Barcelona are starting to lose hope that a deal for Julian Alvarez can be done during this summer’s transfer window. The Argentine striker has been their leading target for months, but with Atletico Madrid determined not to sell to a direct rival, they may be forced to look elsewhere.

Atleti have made it abundantly clear, both in the media and in private, that Alvarez will not be allowed to join Barcelona, despite the Catalans’ being his preferred choice for a move. A few weeks ago, president Miguel Angel Gil Marin made this clear in an interview, and now, head coach Diego Simeone has referred to those statements when speaking to the media this week (via Diario AS).

“I continue to think along the same lines in Korea. I take care of the sporting part, and the personal part, as a person. We spoke when he returned, as we always do. He must have a little more training to be able to arrive in the best way for Sunday. From a sporting point of view, we need more training sessions with him. He’s the best player we have offensively. Trying to build a team around him thinking about his potential, talent, hierarchy and what he gave to the team in these years he has been here.

“I think that if the owner of the club speaks the way he did, there is no more. There is no place (for further comment). It is more than clear what he expressed. From a sporting point of view, we want to take care of the person, the player, so that he continues to take care of the name he has. In this match we do not see him to participate. In these four days we will be closer to what we want.”

Barcelona already moving on from Alvarez

The latest in the Alvarez saga is good news for Atleti, with recent reports claiming that Barcelona have officially given up on pursuing a move this summer. They must now seek an alternative, but with less than two weeks to go until the transfer window closes, time is running out for the club to do their most important piece of business.