Simeone reiterates Atleti's desire to keep Alvarez
Diego Simeone has once again insisted Atletico Madrid has no intention of letting Julian Alvarez leave the club during the current transfer window.
Alvarez has attracted a lot of interest in recent months, with Barcelona reportedly the frontrunner for his signature as the striker publicly stated he wanted to leave.
Arsenal is also said to be interested in the striker, while Real Madrid had a €150 million ($245.3 million) bid rejected, with Atletico determined not to lose its star man.
Alvarez is yet to rejoin Atleti in pre-season after reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup final with Argentina, and rumours continue to swirl around his future.
But Simeone reiterated Atletico's stance is one that is not going to change before the end of the transfer window.
"I think the situation is very clear. The club has made a decision that [CEO] Miguel Angel [Gil Marin] has explained very well," Simeone said in Seoul ahead of a pre-season friendly against Manchester City.
"From a sporting perspective, we're very happy to have a footballer like Julian.
"We will help him continue to grow, continue to improve and continue delivering the best – which has been a tremendous amount – that he has given us over the ppast two years."
When asked how the Atletico fans might receive Alvarez amidst all of the transfer speculation, Simeone highlighted Antoine Griezmann as an example.
The Frenchman left Atleti for Barcelona in 2019 before returning two years later. He was initially met with hostility before winning the supporters back over and leaving as a club legend at the end of last season.
"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 past few years."
