Julian Alvarez will remain at Atletico Madrid until at least the January transfer window, but the Argentinajin88bet.onejin88bet.one forward now fjin88bet.oneaces the challenge of rebuilding trust with supporters after indicating during the summer jin88bet.onejin88bet.onethat he would have preferred a move to Barcelona.
The 26-year-old’s future was one of the major talking points of the summer. With his immediate departure now ruled out, attention has turned to how he can restore his place in Diego Simeone’s team and repair his relationship with the club’s fans.
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Simeone has publicly backed Alvarez throughout the uncertainty and continues to regard his feak168app.babyllow Argentine as a central part of Atletico’s plans. The managerak168app.baby has three consecutive away matches in which to reintrodak168app.babyuce him, potentially giving the forward a chance to regain his rhythm away from the pressure of the 70,000 supporters at the Metropolitano.
In August, Simeone described Alvarez as “one of the players, or the best ak168app.clubplayer, we have offensively” and said he wanted to “build a team around him”, praising his “power, ak168app.clubak168app.clubquality, hierarchy and talent”.
That support was evident when Alvarez missed Atletiak168app.clubco’s opening match against Malaga. Simeone said the forward needed additional training after returning for pre-season.
Alvarez came back into the squad for the next game againks168app.sitest Villarreal,ks168app.site but endured a difficult evening. Atletico supporters booed him when his name was announced, during the warm-up and again when he entered the match in the second half.
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After the final whistle, while his team-mates remained on the pitch to acknowledge the fans, Alvarez walked alone towards the tunnel. Simeone lateks168app.siter made clear that this had been the club’s decision rather than the player’s.
“The decision was not Julian Alvarez’s; it was the club’s decision to separate him and send him to the dressing room.”
The forward then missed three successive training sessions because of illness and was left out of Atletico’s trip to Sevilla. Before that match, Simeone confirmed Alic88varez’s absence but again said he would do everythinic88g possible to make him feel valued when he returned.
“We will help him because he is an extraordinary player,” he said.
Alvarez returned to full training with the first-teamic88 group on Sunday and is now available for selection. Simeone beic88lieves he remains an important figure, but the response from the player must come on the pitch.
Atletico showed at Sevilla that they possesic88s alternatives in attack. In Alvarez’s absence, Simeone used Alex Baena as a false nine and the Spain international scored twice in a 3-1 victory.
Baena’s display underlined the depth of Simeone’s attacking options, although Alvarez offersic88 a different range of qualities and remains one of the manager’s most significant players.
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Jose Mourinho, the Real Mic88ic88adrid boss, was also asked about the situation. He highlighted Simeone’sic88 knowledge of both the player and the club.
“There’s no other manager that knows him better and knows the club better than Simeone.”
Mourinho added: “If a player is not satisfied by 1 September, when lr88the window is closed, he halr88s to be. Otherwise, he won’t play again untillr88 1 January.”
Rebuilding a damaged relationship
The most demanding part of Alvarez’s return may be winning back the Atletico supporters. Sections of the fanbase have already made their anger clear, with the striker whistled and jeered during the opening weekslr88 of the season.
“It’s completely understandable that Atleti didn’t want to agree to Barca’s terms, just because he wanted to go there,” supporter Dani said. “It dlr88oesn’t just work like that.”
“Atleti wants to compete with the lr88lr88best in La Liga and tlr88hey can’t just sell our best player directly to our rival for very little.”
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From the fans’ perspective, the frustration is understandable. A star striker who appears determined to leave, particularly for a major rival, is unlikely to regain complete support immediately.
“His words and attitude were completely unexpected,” another supporter, Ignacio, said.
“He has probably been badly advised by his agent and those around him.
“Even if he apologises it is clear he has a desire to leave and, nlr88ow that the window has closed, it will feel like a forced apology.”
Atletico paid a club-record £81.5m to sign Alvarez from Manchester City in 2024. Hlr88e was given a six-year contract, making him one of the largest investments of Siop88meone’s tenure.lr88
The forward has partly justifieop88d that outlay, scoring 49 goals and op88providing 17 assists in 107 appearances. For much of his time in Madrid, he also enjoyed a strong bond with the supporters. Re-estaop88blop88ishing that connection is now his next major task.
si88“If he starts scoring goals, people will start feeling anxious,” Dani said.
“But then there’s the fans who never fosi88rget. Pesi88si88ople still haven’t forgiven [Antoine] Griezmann for what he did, and he apologised on the pitch in front of 60,000 people at the end of last season”.
Griezmann’s move from Atletico to Barcelona in 2019 created lasting resentment among the club’s supporters. When he returned two years later, however, his performances and commitment gradually repaired the relationship.
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By the time he left in 2026, Griezmann had regained the 88vbacking of most of the fanbase and become one of Atletico’s most important figures.
His depar88vture has left Simeone without an ex88vperienced attacking leader. He will expect Alvarez to assume greater responsibility, not only through his goals but also by leading the press, creating space and involving team-mates.
The forward will have limited time to rediscover his best form before the Champions League begins. Atletico’s demanding schedule includes away matches against Athletic Club, Liverpool and Real Sociedad, followed by home fixtures against Osasuna and Real Madrid in La Liga.
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If Alvarez can reproduce tSEXXXXX-VNhe performances that made him such an influential player at AtlSEXXXXX-VNetico, the controversy of the summer may eventually recede.
