When Julián Alvarez's name was announced at the Metropolitano on Sunday, the Argentine was widely booed. Once seen as the club's star, the Argentine forward has become the villain after pushing for a transfer to Barcelona this summer. Atlético rejected Barcelona's interest in public fashion, Alvarez confirmed he wanted to leave, and the result has been a tense stand-off.
For over an hour, Alvarez, visibly downcast, watched from the bench as Atlético took a 1-0 lead over Villarreal. He did eventually come on and was frustrated as he was once again greeted by boos from the home fans. He failed to make much of an impact as 10-man Atlético snatched a 2-2 draw thanks to a late goal from Giuliano Simeone.
After the full-time whistle, Atlético's players stuck around to acknowledge the fans. Alvarez instead ignored them, immediately heading down the tunnel by himself. After the game, manager Diego Simeone explained that it was a club decision, but it was one that perfectly sums up the striker's situation: Alvarez is seemingly on his own, with neither Atlético nor himself willing to budge.
At some point, Atlético will have to let Alvarez leave. Barring a massive turnaround, it seems that the relationship cannot be salvaged, with the fans turning on the striker and Alvarez clearly unhappy to be there. However, there are suitors, with clubs from the Premier League reportedly interested. The issue is that the only club that Alvarez wants is Barcelona.
It's understandable that Alvarez wants to join Barcelona, and equally understandable that Atlético won't let him. He would be one of the final pieces of the puzzle for Barcelona, the elite striker needed to transform Hansi Flick's side from the best team in Spain to the best team in Europe. Even without a traditional striker, Barcelona terrorized Elche in a 5-0 win in their season opener.
Atlético can't let that happen. Losing a key player while massively strengthening an opponent, after making such a spectacle of saying no to Flick's side earlier this summer, is not an option. At the same time, Atlético also can't keep their biggest star on the bench for an entire season. Alvarez can try to force a move to Barcelona, but the striker is running out of time to find his next club and risks being trapped in Madrid for another season.
The news also leaves Barcelona in a tricky situation. If there's a chance to sign the Argentine, Barcelona need to take it, but waiting longer means the Catalans could end up with no striker at all. If Barcelona decide to sign a striker now, and Alvarez becomes available later, it will be a massive missed chance. Right now, there's a big game of chicken between Barcelona, Atlético, and Alvarez.
Various reports have suggested that Atlético had an emergency meeting to discuss the Alvarez situation the morning after the match. It seems that a story that has already dominated the summer will continue to drag on, and there's no obvious solution in sight. The Alvarez saga is not over yet, and it will have massive repercussions for the La Liga season, regardless of whether he goes or stays.
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