Arsenal target Julian Alvarez ‘dropped’ for LaLiga opener as Atletico Madrid reach unanimous decision on big-money sale

Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone has confirmed that striker Julian Alvarez will miss his side’s LaLiga season opener against Malaga amid ongoing transfer speculation linking the Argentine with a move to Arsenal and Barcelona.

The 26-year-old, who left the Premier League in 2024 after completing a £63million move from Manchester City to Atletico, has publicly expressed his desire to join Barca in order to fulfil a personal dream.

However, Atletico CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin firmly stated that the club would reject transfer offers reaching up to €200m (£171m) for Alvarez, a stance that has been fully backed by Simeone.

But the decision to leave the striker out of the squad for the club’s clash with Malaga on Wednesday sparked fresh debate over a potential exit, with The Independent claiming he had been ‘dropped’ by Simeone, giving Arsenal and Barca a glimmer of hope in the process.

The Gunners made Alvarez their top striker target over the summer but have faced up to the fact that he would favour a Barcelona switch, forcing them to move on to other targets instead – most notably prolific Galatasaray frontman Viktor Osimhen.

And, despite Alvarez missing that opening LaLga outing, Simeone has delivered a firm NO to any club looking to snare the club’s top marksman in the remaining weeks of the window.

Indeed, the Atletico boss revealed that Alvarez is not yet ready physically to take his place in the squad for the Malaga contest, after reaching the World Cup final with Argentina, rather than actually being axed from the squad.

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Simeone doubles down on Alvarez staying in Madrid

Speaking ahead of the game, Simone confirmed that Alvarez will be staying at Atletico Madrid.

He told reporters: “If the club owner speaks so bluntly, it leaves no room for doubt, it’s like a court ruling. What he expressed is more than clear.

“We focus on the sporting side, taking care of the person, the player, ensuring he’s in the best possible condition so that the footballer he is can thrive.

“He will not participate in this match, I hope that in these days he progresses further and we get closer to what we want.

“He’s an extraordinary kid, we were talking as always. From a sporting perspective, I understand that he needs a bit more training to arrive in the best way for Sunday.

“He’s the best offensive player we have and I still think the same, building a team around him considering his power, quality, stature, talent and what he gave to the team in the two years he was here.”

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