Julian Alvarez publicly announced his wish to leave Atletico Madrid and look for a new club during the ongoing FIFA World Cup, and the development did not go down well with the management of the Colchoneros.
Barcelona have been publicly linked with a move for the Argentine star this summer, much to the dismay and disappointment of Atletico Madrid, who still consider him an important player.
Los Rojiblancos are struggling to come to terms with the reality and are taking every step possible to block his departure to Barcelona.
They have tried to portray a story that their relations with the player are positive, when the reality is far from that.
Simeone’s twisted statement
Earlier this week, Diego Simeone spoke to the media and stated that he spoke to Alvarez about his injury and his ‘importance in the team’ when they crossed paths in recent days
“Well, I actually ran into him today on my way to visit Giuliano for a bit, and we chatted a little—mostly about how he’s doing right now, how his ankle was holding up, and how important he is to the team,” he said.
Barcelona’s priority target. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Now, as reported by Jota Jordi, Simeone’s statements are far from the truth and are, in fact, a twisted version of what really went down behind the scenes.
Simeone and Alvarez did indeed cross paths at the Argentine camp, but they spoke for a duration of just ten seconds and nothing more.
In the said interaction, they only discussed the player’s ankle injury and sensations. There was no discussion about the team, his importance or his desire to leave the club which Simeone hinted was the case.
The relationship between the player and the manager, quite clearly, is broken beyond repair and it remains to be seen how long Atletico Madrid can play the game of portraying a false image.
Simeone’s relationship with Alvarez is broken beyond repair. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
A deadline set
Alvarez is desperate to leave Atletico Madrid and wants only Barcelona, but Los Rojiblancos are adamant that they will never sell to the Catalans.
The Blaugrana will do everything in their capacity to change matters and get back to negotiations, but there is also a sense of understanding that they cannot prolong the operation forever.
Given the limited striker options on the market, Barcelona have given Atletico Madrid time until Alvarez is in the FIFA World Cup to reconsider their stance. If they persist in being against talking to Barcelona after that, they will look out for other targets.
After all, the centre-forward position is a priority after Robert Lewandowski’s departure, and putting all their eggs in one basket may not be a wise move.
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