Translated by

I want only Barcelona: Álvarez's frank message to Simeone

Behind the scenes of the decisive meeting between Alvarez and Simeone

The future of Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez is entering a decisive phase during this period of the summer transfer window.

Barcelona remain convinced they can sign Alvarez, staying in constant contact with the Argentine.

Sport newspaper report that Barcelona are confident the strategy they devised some time ago will bear fruit as pre-season progresses and the logic of the market ultimately takes hold.

Barca, though, will have to make a significant financial effort to compensate Atletico Madrid, who feel they have been wronged.

Getty Images
A decisive meeting in Miami
Álvarez and his coach Diego Simeone sitting down face to face: for hours that meeting has been floated as one of the final steps towards breaking a deadlock in negotiations that look, publicly at least, completely stalled.
Sport confirmed the striker had already met the Atlético Madrid coach, with the two coming together during the World Cup.
They met in Miami on 2 July, with Simeone taking advantage of a visit to the Argentina camp to spend time with his son.
That gave coach and player the perfect chance to thrash out the difficult situation Julián faces in the current transfer market.
Sources consulted by the newspaper say the player left no room for doubt. He wants Barcelona for the 2026-2027 season. Not Paris Saint-Germain, not the Premier League, not anyone else. His mind is set on the Catalan shirt and nothing more.
Simeone, for his part, wanted to make one thing clear. He is a coach of the club, bound to respect the decisions taken by the Atlético Madrid board. But he has no desire to endure a season poisoned by an internal atmosphere that does the group no good.

Getty Images
The final request after returning from Korea
Atlético Madrid's delegation returns next week from their adventure in South Korea, and from that moment the long-running saga of recent months must finally be settled.
A meeting is pencilled in between Julián Álvarez and his camp on one side, and Mateo Alemany and Gil Marín on the other.
Opening fresh channels with the Madrid club's senior officials, the Argentine international will restate his desire to leave and join Barcelona.
He knows the deal is difficult and the atmosphere around the transfer has turned turbulent. So he will also press the urgent need to get the two clubs talking.
Álvarez is asking for one final push and a touch of generosity, all to broker a move that could suit everyone.
Within this new framework, the player understands Barcelona must step up with their financial offer to offset the sporting cost his exit will bring.
If that doesn't happen, and once this final round of talks has run its course, he will accept that he has to abandon his wishes and bow to Atlético Madrid's decision.