Atletico Madrid increasingly concerned transfer saga could affect Barcelona target’s performance

Atletico Madrid increasingly concerned transfer saga could affect Barcelona target’s performance Barcelona have been relentless in their pursuit of Julian Alvarez this summer transfer window, with the Argentine emerging as the club’s preferred striker target. Robert Lewandowski left the club at the end of last season and Ferran Torres joined PSG a few days ago, leaving Hansi Flick without a natural striker in the squad. Despite Atletico refusing to entertain any sort of negotiation, Barça are still not giving up on the 26-year-old South American. Now, according to SPORT , Barcelona’s pursuit of the talented striker is creating a much bigger problem for Los Colchoneros . Atletico’s primary concern is no longer simply whether Barcelona will return with another offer. There is now genuine unease over Alvarez’s state of mind and how the situation could influence his relationship with the club and supporters. Atletico worried about Alvarez’s performances Concern at Atletico Madrid. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) Alvarez has made his desire to leave Atletico and join Barcelona clear, but the Spanish capital club continue to refuse to negotiate his departure. That leaves the Rojiblancos facing an uncomfortable scenario. If they successfully block a transfer, they must then reintegrate a player who wanted to spend the season somewhere else. The Madrid-based club are particularly concerned about whether the saga could weigh on Alvarez throughout the campaign and negatively affect his performances. That is significant for Barcelona because it exposes the difficulty Atletico face with their resolute stance. Miguel Angel Gil Marin has publicly insisted that Alvarez would not leave even for €200 million, while the club continue to regard the striker as a fundamental part of their project. However, having an unhappy player in the squad is often counter-productive. Simeone faces a difficult decision Diego Simeone cannot make the final decision over Alvarez’s future, but he will be responsible for managing the consequences if Atletico continue refusing to negotiate. The timing makes matters even more complicated. Alvarez wants Barcelona move. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images) Atletico begin their La Liga campaign against Malaga on Wednesday, meaning Simeone must soon decide whether Alvarez should immediately return to competitive action despite everything surrounding his future. The first major indication could arrive with the squad list on 19 August. If Alvarez is included, attention will inevitably turn towards whether he plays and, importantly, how the Metropolitano responds to a player who has pushed for a move to Barcelona. Barcelona cannot afford to remain patient Barcelona find themselves in a situation where they are desperate to sign at least one natural striker for their squad in the coming days. The interest in Alvarez is obvious, but Barça cannot force Atletico into making a decision in their favour and need to get proactive. The club can still continue to track the developments surrounding the Atletico man but need to start looking for alternatives sooner rather than later. Earlier today, the club were linked with a move for Arsenal star Viktor Gyokeres, although Fabrizio Romano later poured cold water on those links. It remains to be seen whether Atletico relax their stance in the final few weeks of the transfer window and open their doors to sell Alvarez for the right price.