Diego Simeone has made it “perfectly clear” that Julian Alvarez will not be joining wither Arsenal or Barcelona in the summer transfer window.
The Atletico Madrid forward is set to miss Wednesday’s La Liga opener against Malaga after agitating for a move away in recent months.
Barcelona registered their interest in the Argentina international while he was at the FIFA World Cup and Arsenal are also said to be interested in him as they are in the market for a top-class left-sided attacker.
Earlier this summer, Atleti CEO Miguel Angel Gil insisted the club did not want to sell Alvarez and would not even consider a £170 million offer.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Simeone reiterated the owner’s stance and said the 26-year-old is staying put.
Simeone sends clear Alvarez transfer message to Arsenal and Barcelona
“Miguel Ángel is the owner of the club,” Simeone said. “There’s no one more decisive than the owner of the club, that’s perfectly clear.
“It’s like when a judge hands down a sentence: ‘No case to be heard.’ What he said is perfectly clear.
“From a sporting perspective, we want to take care of the person, the player, so that he continues to uphold the reputation he has.
“We don’t see him playing in this match. I hope that in these four days he’ll be closer to where we want him to be.”
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