Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, the chief executive of Atlético Madrid, has confirmed his club's insistence on keeping the Argentine Julián Álvarez, stressing that the team needs its striker to keep competing among Europe's elite.
Julián Álvarez is not for sale. Gil Marín made that clear again despite mounting talk of Barcelona's interest, insisting Atlético's position has not shifted as the transfer window nears its close.
Speaking to the Spanish news agency, Gil Marín said: "Atlético Madrid, like all the big clubs, is built with big players, and I am certain that Julián is one of them, as well as being a great professional. We must compete with our values, with the club's own sons, and with the best players from outside whom we can sign."
He added: "We will help Julián and we will continue to look after him so that he can give us all his potential, because we need him to keep competing among Europe's elite."
On the noise surrounding the player, Gil Marín said: "We must understand that Julián has not had the best advisers close to him regarding his professional career in recent months."
The chief executive doubled down on the club's stance: "The club will not allow other clubs and the media close to them to decide what we have to do, or to determine our sporting strategy, or to insult us."
He went on: "This is precisely what they are looking for: to divide us. Clearly we are not as strong as they are, but we have our values. Atlético Madrid's fans will not allow them to taint us. Atlético Madrid is strong when we are all united."
Exactly 60 days have now passed since the Argentine announced his desire to leave the Madrid side after the match between Argentina and Austria at the World Cup.
"The best for everyone is a move, I want to achieve my dream," the player said at the time, finally naming the dream he had avoided discussing until then: a move to Barcelona.
Nothing new has happened since, beyond Atlético's flat refusal. The club have ruled out any possibility of the Argentine leaving, save for one: payment of the 500 million release clause in his contract.
Now the chief executive has restated that position once more.
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