Diego Simeone has gone public with a promise to Julián Alvarez: "I will do everything I can to make him feel important". The forward will miss Saturday’s La Liga game at Sevilla, and he also missed his third consecutive training session on Friday. Atletico Madrid have issued two public statements in 24 hours reiterating that they will not grant his wish to join Barcelona.

Simeone's message on Alvarez

Simeone's line to the BBC was matched by a second point of reassurance. "As long as you have your health, everything in life can be turned around," he said, before adding that he still hoped, "from a sporting point of view, to be able to help him in the best way so that he continues to be the very important player he is for us".

The club have not treated the situation as a transfer opening. They have instead kept repeating their refusal to let him move, while Alvarez's own place in the squad remains unsettled ahead of Sevilla vs Atletico Madrid.

The numbers explain why Simeone is talking about patience as much as selection. Alvarez has 9 appearances and 655 minutes across all competitions this season, with a 6.66 average rating. That is enough involvement to make the dispute a real first-team issue, not a side note.

Atletico's attack without Alvarez and Sorloth

The absence of Alexander Sørloth gives Atletico another problem. Simeone said, "Sorloth's absence hurts us. He's very important for us," and the Norwegian has 5 appearances and 341 minutes this season.

Atletico are still going into Sevilla without two attacking options, which leaves more responsibility on the players who are available. Simeone tried to keep that noise in check too, saying, "Honestly, no," when asked whether Alvarez's uncertainty is unsettling the squad.

He also pointed to the group work around him, saying, "The boys are working very well, especially the World Cup players. The team played good matches against Malaga and Villarreal and we are focused on playing a good match [against Sevilla]."

At the moment, the public line is clear. Alvarez misses Sevilla, Atletico keep their hard stance on Barcelona, and Simeone is trying to keep the forward engaged while the situation stays unresolved.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →