Simeone reiterates Atletico Madrid’s stance in meeting with Barcelona target Julian Alvarez – report

Simeone reiterates Atletico Madrid’s stance in meeting with Barcelona target Julian Alvarez – report As reported before, Julian Alvarez has spoken directly with Diego Simeone about his future at Atletico Madrid, but the Argentine striker appears to have received little encouragement from his manager regarding a potential move to Barcelona. According to Javi Gomara in Mundo Deportivo , the conversation between the two was cordial, with Alvarez explaining his situation before Wednesday’s training session. Simeone, however, made it clear that the matter ultimately sits above him. The Atletico Madrid manager is aligned with the club’s position and continues to count on Alvarez for the upcoming season.  His role, as he explained to the striker, is to help him on the football side rather than influence the club’s decision over his future. That leaves Barcelona facing the same obstacle they have encountered throughout the summer: Atletico do not want to negotiate the departure of their star forward. Alvarez explains his situation to Simeone Simeone does not want to lose Alvarez. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images) Alvarez and Simeone did not hold a formal meeting after training, but they did have a conversation before the session began. The striker arrived at the training ground alongside his representatives, as they continue working in Madrid to find a solution to the uncertainty surrounding his future. Simeone was among the Atletico players and staff Alvarez greeted after arriving, and the two men then discussed the situation. According to Atletico sources cited by the outlet, the exchange was friendly rather than confrontational, as Simeone listened to Alvarez’s explanation but also made his own position clear. The manager believes the decision is ultimately a matter for the club hierarchy. That means Simeone cannot offer Alvarez a route out of Atletico. What he can offer is support on the pitch . Barcelona are patiently watching the developments regarding Julian Alvarez. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images) “The situation is very clear; the club made a decision that Miguel Ángel (Gil Marín, the club’s CEO) explained very well.  “We’re very happy with Julian; from a sporting perspective, we’ll help him to keep growing, to keep improving and to give us once again what he’s given us over the last two years, which has been a great deal,” he had said. Simeone determined to keep Barcelona target For Barcelona, Simeone’s comments will be frustrating, as Alvarez is one of their priority targets, but Atletico have shown no intention of making negotiations easy.  The club remain firm over their decision to keep the Argentine and continues to view him as a central part of the squad. The player, meanwhile, has not simply walked away from the situation. His representatives remain in Madrid, indicating that there is still work being done behind the scenes to determine what happens next. Barcelona will therefore continue to watch developments closely.