Diego Simeone makes first public statement on Julian Alvarez future after transfer request | OneFootball

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has made his first public statements on the future of Julian Alvarez since his star forward declared a desire to leave the club last month. Alvarez has been courted by Barcelona, as well as Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, and is reportedly keen on a move to the Catalan club.

Despite that, Atletico Madrid have been adamant that not only is Alvarez not for sale, but that Barcelona cannot afford him. Simeone held little bitterness towards Alvarez though, and left the door open to continue at the club.

“He is an extraordinary footballer, the best player we have at Atletico Madrid; his numbers speak for themselves. He has shown great consistency and has made a real impact on the team, proving himself to be a special kind of player. We are very happy with his work; I can’t say anything other than what I’ve already told you, because he has conducted himself well as a person. He is a guy who has always worked in the best possible way for the good of the team,” he said to ESPN.

Diego Simeone meets with Julian Alvarez

Julian Alvarez celebrates scoring for Atletico Madrid against Barcelona (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

Simeone went on to confirm that he spoke to Alvarez during a visit to the Argentina national team at their World Cup base, albeit not one specifically to see Alvarez.

“I actually ran into Giuliano and spent a little while chatting with him, mostly about how things were going for him, the state of his ankle, and his importance to the team. He told me he was doing really well and was back to 100%. I think that in the second match, regardless of not being as sharp as he usually is, he already showed a different rhythm of play and a different intensity in his movements, and Argentina is going to need that.”

“Things will be resolved, as they always are” – Simeone

Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid looks on (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

The Atletico manager also made it clear that he sees Alvarez as a cornerstone of the team for many years to come, despite his desire to leave.

“He is the player around whom we plan to build our game. His future is, above all, tomorrow’s match; the best thing for him is to focus on that and not dwell on all these things that have surfaced, so they don’t cause him any confusion. And things will be resolved just as they always do in life.”

It seems tricky for Alvarez to continue at Atletico, following his statements, which have turned many fans against him. Nevertheless, it would not be the first time that Simeone has helped reintegrate a shunned star, with Antoine Griezmann before him actually making the move to Barcelona before earning back the love of the fans.