Atletico Madrid will not sell Alvarez amid Barcelona interest, says Simeone

What the report says

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone says the club will not let Julian Alvarez leave this summer, despite reported interest from Barcelona and links to other major teams. The comments, reported by Al Jazeera on 8 August 2026 and attributed to AFP, come after Atletico said last month that it had filed a complaint to FIFA over Barcelona allegedly making improper contact with the Argentina forward.

Simeone told reporters in Seoul, ahead of a preseason friendly against Manchester City, that the club’s position was clear and that Atletico wanted to keep the 26-year-old. Club chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin had made a similar point in recent remarks to Atletico’s own media, saying the team had rejected a large offer and had no intention of selling.

Alvarez, who joined Atletico from Manchester City two years ago, has scored 49 goals for the Spanish club. During the reporting period, he was also described as having been linked with Arsenal, and he previously said while on international duty that a transfer could be best for everyone, without naming a destination.

The situation matters because it involves one of Atletico’s leading attackers and a potential dispute between two La Liga rivals. Simeone compared the current moment to Antoine Griezmann’s earlier return to Atletico, suggesting the club would focus on performance and on keeping Alvarez settled ahead of the new season, which begins on 19 August.