The Julian Alvarez file hasn't closed at Atletico Madrid despite the end of the transfer window. It has simply shifted to murkier, more influential dealings behind the scenes: the players' agents market. According to the Spanish newspaper "AS", the Argentine striker has become a free man as far as the management of his career goes, having begun to consider parting ways with his agent Fernando Hidalgo, who had handled his affairs for almost a full decade.
Since the window shut, Alvarez's inner circle has been hunting for the agency that will take charge of his future, with his father Gustavo Alvarez playing a pivotal role in choosing the new representative. "AS" reports that an Argentine agency linked to former star Javier Pastore currently leads the race, with negotiations at an advanced stage and only the final signature outstanding.
Atletico endured a turbulent summer over Alvarez's future. The player found himself at the centre of a sprawling controversy involving conflicting offers and desires, and though his name had been linked to Barcelona, the saga ended with him staying put.
At the club, the belief took hold that the player himself bore no responsibility for the crisis. Miguel Angel Gil Marin, Atletico's chief executive, said at the end of August that Alvarez had been subjected to attempts to mislead him, confirming that he had known him for years and valued him on both a personal and professional level.
Removing Hidalgo from managing Alvarez's affairs, or at least rearranging his role within the player's set-up, could help calm relations between the striker and Atletico, especially after a summer so fraught with tension.
Alvarez is tied to a contract with the club until 2030. Yet he must also win back the trust of Atletico's fans after a start to the season that was far from ideal, and recover his level on the pitch, where Cristian Romero remains one of those closest to him.
For now, he prefers to stay away from the noise and focus on the Argentina national team, which is preparing to face Benin in a match that carries a special character: it is linked to the awaited farewell appearance of Lionel Messi, one of his foremost sources of inspiration.
Expect Alvarez back in Madrid at the end of the week. There he will face a decision whose first steps have already been taken behind the scenes: naming the agent who will take charge of the next phase of his career.