Julian Alvarez has come out and suggested he wants out of Atletico Madrid - with both Barcelona and Arsenal tracking the Argentina star
Julian Alvarez is wanted by Arsenal and has stated his desire to move this summer
Julian Alvarez is wanted by Arsenal and has stated his desire to move this summer(Image: Maja Hitij - FIFA via Getty Images)
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Atletico Madrid's president admits they were surprised by Julian Alvarez's declaration that he wanted out of the club - but still maintained he is not for sale.
The Argentine has proved to be one of the team's leading lights in the two years he's spent in the Spanish capital. But his quality has caught the attention of both Barcelona and Arsenal - who are in the market for more firepower.
Atletico spent £81.5million to sign Alvarez from Manchester City and will be loathed to see him leave, even if the player himself appears to want out of the Wanda Metropolitano.
Arsenal came up against Alvarez in the Champions League semi-finals and are still seeking a prolific striker whilst Barcelona were undone by Alvarez's magic and also see him weekly in La Liga. They've just seen Robert Lewandowski leave and need a replacement - with Alvarez seemingly keen on the switch.
He recently told ESPN: "Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t think it’s the right time to talk about this, but I can’t hide or pretend otherwise either.
"I try to be an honest person. I spoke with the people at the club I needed to speak with. The best thing for everyone is a transfer. I want to fulfil my dream."
Atletico themselves are in a very strong position with their striker under contract until 2030 and boasting a €500m (£431m) release clause.
Their president Enrique Cerezo told Spanish radio station RNE: "It caught us by surprise and we have done what we had to do. We’ve said that he is an Atletico de Madrid player and that we have no offers from anyone. Even if there were offers, we do not want to sell him."
Atletico Madrid chief Enrique Cerezo has no interest in selling the Argentine
Atletico Madrid chief Enrique Cerezo has no interest in selling the Argentine
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Alvarez has racked up a total of 49 goals and 17 assists in 106 appearances for the Spanish side, who were ultimately unable to challenge Barcelona for the title last term and also lost in the Copa del Rey final. Seeing Alvarez depart would ultimately be a huge blow, but Diego Simeone has claimed that such speculation is only normal .
"I’m not in Julian’s head,’ he said several months ago. "I understand that it’s normal that an extraordinary player like Julian Alvarez is wanted by Arsenal, PSG, Barcelona. It’s normal because he’s so good."
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