Alvarez reintegrated into Atletico squad after transfer standoff –Simeone
The coach of Atletico Madrid, Diego Simeone has disclosed that striker Julian Alvarez has been reintegrated into the squad after a protracted transfer standoff.
Recall that the lethal Argentina striker whipped up a storm of some sort at the club by refusing to train for three days while he was trying to force a move to Spanish Barcelona.
Alvarez told the club in clear terms that he prefers a move to Camp Nou over other interested clubs but Atletico firmly rejected Barcelona’s €90 million plus €10 million bonuses offer, demanding a fee in the region €150 million and citing dignity over money.
Atletico also accused Barcelona of unethical tactics with the club unwilling to negotiate with Hansi Flick’s side before the transfer window shut close thus leaving Alvarez with no other option than to remain at the club.
Simeone has now disclosed that the player who has a broken relationship with the club’s fanbase after pushing to join a rival club has now been reintegrated into the squad for subsequent games.
“Julián Alvarez will be in the squad tomorrow,” he said.
Read Also: TRANSFER STANDOFF: Alvarez to miss Atletico training for second day running
“He’s training well, and we expect the best from him, just as we do from all his teammates.
“For me, life is full of opportunities. And Julián now has an opportunity.
“A lot of the time, we spend our lives judging, and we need to worry about doing that less and learning more. I hope this has served as a learning experience for him.
“I hope he’s happy and, as Futre told him yesterday in a lovely video, that he shows it by scoring goals,” he added.
Alvarez has now been named in the squad to travel for a weekend clash against Athletic Club as he hopes to once again win the trust of fans of the club.
However, speculations are rife that Barcelona’s interest is not dead and buried yet as the club may plan another aggressive pursuit of the player during the January transfer window.
