Julian Alvarez misses Atletico Madrid opening win as Diego Simeone explains absence amidst transfer saga

Alvarez was notably absent as Atletico Madrid kicked off their La Liga campaign with a 2-0 victory over Malaga on Wednesday. While the Argentine watched from afar, Ademola Lookman led the line as a lone striker and played the full match. Second-half goals from Kang-in Lee and Alex Baena secured the win.

However, Alvarez has been the subject of heavy transfer speculation, with Barcelona and Arsenal eager to secure his signature. Despite his desire to leave, Atletico Madrid have remained resolute, pointing to a release clause worth €490 million. The club have essentially shut the door on negotiations.

According to the Mirror, Manager Diego Simeone addressed the situation directly, claiming the omission was purely down to fitness levels after the World Cup final rather than any impending transfer.

Interestingly, Baena was named in the squad and even scored, despite having similar time away on international duty. Simeone explained his decision, stating: "I deal with the sporting side. [Julian] is an extraordinary lad. We spoke, as we always do... We need more training sessions with him. He's the best player we have in attack, I've said that and I still think that. I want to build a team around him."

Despite Simeone insisting that Alvarez remains central to his plans at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, the player appears deeply dissatisfied with the current situation. Reports indicate that Simeone and Alvarez held face-to-face talks where the forward reiterated his desire to leave for Barcelona.

Furthermore, it has been highlighted that Alvarez displayed his frustration during recent training sessions. In his official photo published on Wednesday, Alvarez was clean-shaven and visibly scowling, a stark contrast to his usual cheerful demeanour over the previous two seasons. Simeone acknowledged the outside noise, adding: "People will have their opinions. I'm very respectful of people's opinions, I always have been in these situations - Diego Costa, [Antoine] Griezmann and now Julián."

Alvarez will continue training with Atletico Madrid as he attempts to build his match fitness ahead of their next fixture, hosting Villarreal on August 23. With the transfer window ticking down and the club demanding an unrealistic €490m fee, Alvarez will likely have to accept his immediate future lies in Madrid. Barcelona will need to quickly look at alternative attacking targets if they cannot fund a historic bid.