Julian Alvarez's dream has become a Calvary

BarcelonaAtlético de Madrid plays this Saturday at the Sánchez-Pizjuán (9:30 PM, Movistar) their third league match and will not be able to count on their best forward. This was confirmed by Diego Pablo Simeone, in the pre-match press conference: Julián Álvarez will not be on the list of called-up players after three days without training with his teammates. He did train alone this Friday afternoon, accompanied by a club physical trainer at the facilities of the mattress club.

The official explanation from the mattress club regarding Julián's absence has been the same since Wednesday, the first day he missed training: "indisposition." However, when consulted by ARA, sources close to the club's management clarify that the Argentine forward needed assistance on Tuesday night due to an anxiety crisis stemming from the situation he has been suffering for weeks. Without going into further detail, the CEO of Atlético de Madrid, Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, could not deny that the footballer is going through a very low moment: "He is really not doing well. There have been people who have taken it upon themselves to deceive him, to confuse him, and I regret it very much. I know him, he is a great footballer and he is going through very difficult days on a personal and professional level."

In the same appearance, which took place within the framework of the Champions League draw, Gil Marín himself put words to the main cause of Julián's problems, which is none other than Atlético de Madrid's repeated refusal to sell him to Barça. The attacker's dream sky blue, therefore, it has become a torment because of a very strong position that, as this newspaper explained a few days ago, has the backing of the North American investment fund Apollo, owner since March of 55% of the institution's shares. Beyond Joan Laporta's and Deco's approaches, criticized by Gil Marín – and which ultimately are those of any buyer in the jungle of football – the criterion of the new owners prevails, who are opposed to strengthening a direct rival for the League with their best sporting asset.

For its part, Barça has already made it clear that it will not give up on its objective until the transfer market closing bell rings at 11:59 PM next Tuesday. Despite having had to endure these inappropriate days of all kinds from the offices of the Metropolitano, it will be willing to sit down to talk about Julián's price if there is a radical turn of events. Its strength is the player's will and that of his unorthodox representative, Fernando Hidalgo, who has worked intensely since the end of May to make the transfer possible. And he does not plan to raise the offer of 100 million made at the beginning of the FIFA window too much. The Barça club will simply hold on in the hope of signing the player now at the last minute or in the winter when things have calmed down a bit. Meanwhile, Raphinha has already shown that he works as a new.

Mateu Alemany's favorite moment

It would be worse for Barça's interests if Julián Álvarez decided not to miss a few precious months of the season and accepted a return to England, from where he left in 2024 to sign for Atlético de Madrid. Selling to a Premier League club would indeed be part of Gil Marín and Apollo's plans. For weeks, Arsenal has been the team that has shown the most interest in him, but they are not the only ones. Manchester City, who a few days ago loaned Omar Marmoush to Tottenham and are left with only Erling Haaland as a specialist goalscorer, has also opened the door to re-signing him two years after selling him for over 70 million.

Atlético's priority at the moment, however, is not to cash in on Julián, but to get him back for the season. This was the message that the mattress sporting director, Mateu Alemany, personally conveyed to the forward this Thursday, according to the renowned Argentine journalist Verónica Brunati. However, if he does not see a positive reaction in the short term, the Balearic executive will move to find a profitable transfer for the club and a replacement at the level requested by Simeone. All in a few hours and in silence. Nothing that he hasn't done in the almost three decades he has been in football offices. They know this well at Camp Nou.