"It's like when a judge hands down a ruling: 'Dismissed.'" That was Diego Simeone's line on Julián Alvarez as Atletico Madrid tried to close down the noise around the forward's future. The club are still being linked with Barcelona and Arsenal, but Simeone said the position from above is "more than clear".
Atletico's stance on Alvarez
Simeone made the point twice in different interviews, and the message did not shift. Speaking to goal.com, he said: "I think if the club owner spoke so bluntly about what he said, that's all there is to it, it's more than clear. This is like when you go to court... there's nothing more to it." He told independent.co.uk something similar, adding: "Nothing is more definitive than the club's owner, it's crystal clear."
That is the strongest part of the story. There is still debate about how Alvarez himself sees the situation, but Atletico's public line has been framed as final by their manager, not open for negotiation.
Why Alvarez will miss the Malaga opener
The football reason for the omission is simpler. Atletico do not see Alvarez playing in Atletico Madrid vs Malaga on Wednesday night, and Simeone said he still needs more training sessions after returning late from international duty.
"We don't see him playing in this game. I hope that over the next four days, he'll be closer to where we want him to be," Simeone said. He also told goal.com that, from a sporting perspective, more work was needed before Alvarez is ready.
Atletico do not need the opener to become a transfer courtroom, but that is where the noise has gone. The forward stays out of the squad for now, the club keep talking up their stance, and Wednesday night against Malaga is the first fixture where that position will be tested.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
