Refuses to play for Atletico Madrid: situation surrounding Barcelona target Julian Alvarez escalates
The transfer saga surrounding Atletico Madrid striker star Julian Alvarez has reached the next level of escalation.
Alvarez, who is desperate to join Barcelona, was left out of Atletico's squad for Friday's 2-1 friendly win at Olympique Marseille. According to a report by Argentine TV channel TyC Sports, that came at Alvarez's explicit request. He is said to have asked coach Diego Simeone not to play for Atletico any more.
The striker's advisers have also reportedly demanded an urgent meeting with officials at the Spanish top club led by chief executive Miguel Angel Gil. The Alvarez camp's position is clear: a move to Barca, who have identified the Argentinian as their preferred attacking signing, should be pushed through as quickly as possible.
Headlines had already started to build straight after Alvarez returned from his World Cup holiday at the start of the week. According to Mundo Deportivo, the 26-year-old wanted talks with Simeone and Gil as early as Monday but found neither of them at the training ground. The report says Alvarez then "exploded", was absolutely furious and told those present he no longer wanted to play for Atleti. In the most extreme case, he could even go on strike in training, it is understood.
He is desperate to join Barcelona: Atletico also without Julian Alvarez for the league opener?
The transfer saga around Alvarez has been running for weeks. Atletico are said to have rejected an offer worth 120 million euros from Barcelona and are insisting on the release clause set at 500 million euros. Alvarez's contract in Madrid runs until 2030.
What happens next? Simeone wants to be able to rely on Alvarez for Wednesday's league opener at home to Malaga, but that now looks unlikely. According to TyC Sports, the Argentina international has ruled out featuring because he does not feel mentally capable of it. The transfer speculation has also left him facing an angry reaction from Atletico fans.
Alvarez joined Madrid from Manchester City in 2024 for a fee of 75 million euros and is one of Atletico's most important players. Last season, he recorded 20 goals and nine assists in 49 appearances across all competitions.
