Atletico Madrid will not let Julian Alvarez leave during the current transfer window despite interest from Barcelona, coach Diego Simeone said on Saturday.
Atletico complained to FIFA last month, accusing Barcelona of allegedly tapping up the Argentina international. Alvarez has also been linked with Arsenal and was the subject of a rejected 150-million-euro ($173.4m) offer from Real Madrid in June.
“I think the situation is very clear. The club has made a decision that (CEO) Miguel Angel (Gil Marin) has explained very well,” Simeone told reporters before Atletico’s pre-season friendly against Manchester City in Seoul.
“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 last two years.”
Alvarez is set to return to Atletico in two days after a break following Argentina’s World Cup final defeat by Spain.
The 26-year-old said during the tournament that he “believed a transfer is best for everyone”, but did not reveal where he wanted to move.
Alvarez has scored 49 goals for Atletico since joining from Manchester City two years ago.
“We don’t want to transfer him. We didn’t accept the 100-million-euro offer, nor will we accept one for 150 million or 200 million,” Gil Marin said.
“I have no doubt that Atletico is the right place for Julian and that Julian is the centre-forward for Atletico Madrid. We want to keep him.”
Simeone compared Alvarez’s situation with Antoine Griezmann, who left for Barcelona before returning to Atletico. Despite a hostile reception at first, Griezmann won fans back and left last season as a club legend.
“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,” said Simeone.
“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 last few years.”
Atletico begin their La Liga campaign on August 19 at home against newly promoted Malaga. They finished fourth last season, 25 points behind champions Barcelona.
