Simeone made a public statement about Alvarez’s future after the exit request
Julian Alvarez has been linked with Arsenal and Barcelona (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has made his first public statements on Julian Alvarez’s future since his star man announced his desire to leave the club last month. Alvarez has been linked with 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 insisting that Alvarez is not only for sale, but that Barcelona cannot afford him. Simeone held a slight grudge against Alvarez, and left the door open to continue at the club.
“He is an amazing footballer, the best player we have at Atletico Madrid; his numbers speak for themselves. He has shown great consistency and has had a real impact on the team, which shows that he is a special player. We have really appreciated his work; there is nothing more I can say than what I have already told you, because he conducts himself well as a person. He has worked well for the team at all times. ESPN.
“EL MEJOR FUTBOLISTA QUE TENEMOS EN EL ATLÉTICO DE MADRID, ENTRE LOS MEJORES 5 DEL MUNDO ESTÁ SIN DUDAS. SI SE QUEDA TENEMOS PENSADO GENERAR EL JUEGO ALREDEDOR DE ÉL”
? ATENCIÓN: ¡El Cholo Simeone talked about the future of Julián Álvarez, he highlighted that he behaved well like… pic.twitter.com/aB76pUqNoP
— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) July 3, 2026
Diego Simeone meets Julian Alvarez
Simeone went on to confirm that he had spoken to Alvarez during his visit to Argentina’s national team at their World Cup venue, although no one was there to see Alvarez.
“I actually met Giuliano and spent a little time talking to him, mainly about how things were going, the condition of his ankle, and his importance to the team. He told me that he is doing very well and is back to 100%. I think that in the second game, even if he was not as sharp as he usually is, he already showed a different rhythm of play and a different need for his movements.”
“Things will be resolved, as they always are” – Simeone
The Atletico manager also made it clear that he considers Alvarez to be a cornerstone of the club for many years to come, despite his desire to leave.
“He is a player that we have planned to build our game around. His future above all, is the game of tomorrow; the best thing for him is to focus on that and not focus on all these things that have already happened, so that they don’t conflict with him. And things will be resolved as they always do in life.”
It seems to be tricky for Alvarez to continue at Atletico, following his statements, which have turned many fans away from him. However, it wouldn’t be the first time that Simeone helped reunite the shunned star, with Antoine Griezmann before moving to Barcelona before returning the fans’ affection.
