Julian Alvarez remains a trending transfer topic for Arsenal with one of his Atletico Madrid team-mates speaking out after a hostile reception for the striker
Arsenal transfer target Julian Alvarez has the support of his Atletico Madrid team-mates after being booed in his home stadium
Arsenal transfer target Julian Alvarez has the support of his Atletico Madrid team-mates after being booed in his home stadium(Image: (Photo by Pierre-Philippe MARCOU / AFP via Getty Images))
View 2 Images
Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak has admitted the Julian Alvarez situation is uncomfortable but that he has the support of his team-mates. The Argentine has been strongly linked with a move away from the Spanish capital with Arsenal firmly interested in signing him.
Diego Simeone left him out of the matchday squad for their La Liga opener but he was named on the bench for their home clash against Villareal. He was introduced for the final 24 minutes with 10-man Atletico scoring a late equaliser.
While his team-mates applauded the home support after the game, Alvarez was heavily booed and jeered as he was walked off the pitch and down the tunnel by club officials. Oblak has since spoken about Alvarez and the hostile reaction to his presence.
Content Image
Content Image
He told DAZN: “We all need to be united. Julian is here, he’s with us in the team and while he’s with us, we’re going to support him and we want him in the best way.
"Unfortunately, it’s a situation that isn’t comfortable for anyone, but hopefully all that is sorted out and at the end of the season we can all be happy.”
*FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE!Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page*
When asked about the whistles towards Alvarez and what advice he would give him, Diego Simeone said: “I’m not here to give advice. What I have to do is concentrate on my work, which is, from a sporting sense, to give my best for Atletico Madrid.
“The only thing I know is that if Atletico Madrid want to win a title, we need to be together, we need to have forwards, and we need to have important forwards. And for that, we need to work on it as a result, everyone, on what we need.”
MADRID, SPAIN - AUGUST 22: Diego Pablo Simeone, head coach of Atletico de Madrid, attends his press conference during a training session of Atletico de Madrid ahead of the Spanish League, LaLiga EA Sports, football match against Villarreal CF at Ciudad Deportiva Wanda Atletico de Madrid on August 22, 2026, in Madrid, Spain. (Photo By Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press via Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Simeone also revealed that the decision to have Alvarez not go over to the home support was made by people above him.
He added: ”People at the club told me that the club decided he shouldn’t go near the stands or the fans. It was the club’s decision to keep him away and separate him so he could go to the locker room.”
Atletico have no plans to sell to Barcelona and would seemingly only sanction a move to Arsenal for a triple-figure fee. The Gunners appear unlikely to do that but selling Gabriel Martinelli to Al Hilal for a record fee could give them the suitable funds to make an offer that Atletico could accept with the Alvarez situation becoming untenable.