Diego Simeone says Julian Alvarez has an opportunity to rebuild his long-term future at Atletico Madrid after a transfer dispute involving Barcelona and Arsenal.
The Atletico Madrid manager confirmed the Argentina forward will be part of the squad travelling to Athletic Club tomorrow, despite Alvarez having played in only one of the club’s three LaLiga matches so far this season.
Alvarez shocked Simeone and Atletico officials during the 2026 FIFA World Cup when he declared his intention to leave Madrid this summer. The situation led to a public disagreement between Atletico and Barcelona, after the Catalan club were linked with a move for the former Manchester City attacker.
Atletico maintained throughout the dispute that they would not sell Alvarez to their LaLiga rivals. The club also argued that it had been the only victim of the transfer saga, following an increasingly bitter exchange of claims between the two sides.
After Atletico told Barcelona there was a “0% chance” of completing a deal for the Argentina international, Arsenal were subsequently linked with a possible offer. However, no formal bid was made and Alvarez was not convinced by the prospect of returning to the Premier League.
Simeone has now reiterated that he still believes Alvarez can have a future at Atletico, while making clear that the player must learn from the events of the summer.
"I'm very clear about it, life is full of opportunities. Julian now has an opportunity to get things right.
"We often spend time judging, and we need to focus on doing it less and learning more. I hope this has been a learning experience for him and that he's happy.
"He's training very well. He'll be involved, and we're hoping for the best from him and his teammates."
The manager’s comments represent a firm public commitment to involving Alvarez again, even though his limited participation at the start of the LaLiga season has underlined the uncertainty surrounding his position at the club.
Alvarez’s future became the central issue of the summer after he made clear he wanted to leave Madrid. Atletico’s refusal to negotiate with Barcelona then turned the issue into a dispute between the two clubs, while Arsenal’s reported interest failed to develop into an official proposal.
With Alvarez now set to travel for the meeting with Athletic Club, Simeone has placed the emphasis on moving forward. The Atletico manager said the forward’s current opportunity was to “get things right” and expressed hope that the experience would prove valuable to him.
Atletico’s next match will therefore provide Alvarez with another chance to feature for the club after the transfer saga, while Simeone continues to indicate that the player remains part of his plans.