Atletico Madrid will not sell Julian Alvarez during the current transfer window, coach Diego Simeone confirmed Saturday before a preseason friendly against Manchester City in Seoul.
The announcement came as speculation about Alvarez's future reached a peak. Barcelona has been heavily linked with the 26-year-old Argentine forward, and Atletico filed a complaint with FIFA last month over Barcelona allegedly making unauthorized contact with the player. Alvarez has also been connected to Premier League champions Arsenal, and Real Madrid submitted a 150-million-euro bid in June that Atletico rejected, according to Al Jazeera.
Club CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin was direct about the club's position. "We don't want to transfer him. We didn't accept the 100-million-euro offer, nor will we accept one for 150 million or 200 million," he said on the club's in-house media channel. "I have no doubt that Atletico is the right place for Julian and that Julian is the centre-forward for Atletico Madrid. We want to keep him."
Simeone echoed that position while speaking to reporters. "I think the situation is very clear. The club has made a decision that (CEO) Miguel Angel (Gil Marin) has explained very well," he said. "From a sporting perspective, we're very happy to have a footballer like Julian."
Alvarez has scored 49 goals for Atletico since joining from Manchester City two years ago. He is due to rejoin the squad in two days after taking time off following Argentina's loss to Spain in the World Cup final.
While on international duty, Alvarez publicly said he "believed a transfer is best for everyone," without naming a preferred destination. How he will be received by Atletico supporters given that statement remains a question.
Simeone pointed to the case of Antoine Griezmann as a possible parallel. Griezmann left Atletico for Barcelona, returned, and was initially met with hostility before winning fans back and eventually leaving as a club legend. "We went through a period with Antoine in recent years where he had to leave, come back, and prove his quality and stature on the pitch," Simeone said. "I see no other path than focusing on the sporting side of things, doing our part and helping him [Alvarez], just as we have done over the last few years."
Atletico opens its La Liga season on August 19 with a home match against newly promoted Malaga. The club finished fourth last season, 25 points behind champions Barcelona.
