Julián Álvarez has missed his third consecutive training session at Atlético Madrid, ruling him out of Saturday's match against Sevilla as his transfer saga deepens.
Manager Diego Simeone confirmed the 26-year-old Argentine forward will not feature in the La Liga fixture at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán stadium, which kicks off at 9:30 pm on Saturday, August 29. The player wants a move to Barcelona, but Atlético management has firmly ruled out any transfer to Camp Nou.
A return to the Premier League with Arsenal, having previously played for Manchester City, is not the striker's ideal plan. Meanwhile, his continued presence at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid has drawn strong opposition from local supporters.
Standoff over transfer demands
Despite the complex situation, Simeone maintains faith that he can integrate his star forward back into the squad and normalize relations. The manager explained at a press conference focused on Álvarez that the club had been forceful and clear regarding their stance and future expectations.
Simeone stated he remains waiting from a sporting perspective to support the player so he can continue as a vital figure for the team. However, tension between the player and the board has reached its highest point since issues first surfaced at the end of last season.
Chief Executive Miguel Ángel Gil Marín disclosed that Álvarez is in a very bad frame of mind after being deceived and confused by certain individuals. Gil Marín launched a sharp attack against Spanish rivals Barcelona, confirming that while he wishes Álvarez would stay, the club would open the door to a departure anywhere except Camp Nou.
Atlético holds full control of the negotiations because Álvarez is under contract until 2030, with an unpayable release clause set at 500 million euros. For a player in his prime at 26, spending a season on the sidelines is not a viable option, forcing him to negotiate an exit through the club.
Simeone seeks resolution and crowd forgiveness
Simeone continues to fight for the forward, emphasizing the need to act in the best interests of the group. He noted that Atlético is significantly stronger with Álvarez, while keeping an unmotivated asset represents a waste of sporting resources and money.
The manager insisted that as soon as Álvarez resumes training with the team, the coaching staff will provide everything needed to make him feel valued. He added that any situation in life can be turned around as long as people have their health.
While fans currently favor emotion over logic, previous precedents show that broken relationships can be repaired. French international forward Antoine Griezmann successfully won back the Metropolitano crowd upon returning to Atlético after a spell at Barcelona. Similarly, French winger Ousmane Dembélé refused a contract renewal at Barcelona in January 2022 and was banished to the stands for two matches, but fans eventually applauded him after initially booing.
With the European transfer window closing on Tuesday, September 1 at 11:59 pm, a final resolution to the standoff is expected within days.
Striker shortage ahead of Sevilla fixture
The absence of Álvarez leaves Atlético without a senior center-forward for the trip to Seville, as Alexander Sørloth is also sidelined. The Norwegian international striker returned to training on August 4 following Norway's World Cup campaign, where they eliminated Brazil before reaching the quarter-finals.
Sørloth suffered a muscle injury eight days after returning to training and is expected to be out for around a month. Simeone admitted that losing Sørloth hurts the team immensely and compounds the problem caused by Álvarez's absence, leaving the squad relying on collective effort to generate scoring opportunities.
In recent matches against Málaga and Villarreal, Nigerian international winger Ademola Lookman was forced to start upfront. Simeone revealed he apologized to Lookman for playing him out of position with his back to goal, acknowledging that the winger thrives when facing defenders and dribbling into space.
Álvarez played briefly off the bench against Villarreal, known as the yellow submarine, but hostility from the home crowd demonstrated that supporters have not forgiven him. Simeone delivered a clear message to club directors, stating that teams must have recognized strikers to win titles, after Atlético scored twice in each of their two games played without a natural number nine.
