Julian Alvarez to tell Diego Simeone he wants Atletico exit for Barcelona move

Julian Alvarez is due to meet Atletico de Madrid manager Diego Simeone on Wednesday morning to make clear that he wants to leave the club and join Barcelona during the current summer transfer window.

The Argentina striker is expected to speak to Simeone at 09:00 BST at Atletico’s training ground, where the squad will begin its training session, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Alvarez returned to Atletico on Monday intending to discuss his future directly with Simeone and request a move away from the club. However, the manager was not present.

Simeone had returned from Atletico’s Asian tour before travelling to Ibiza for two days off. His absence surprised Alvarez, who had hoped to use the opportunity to sit down with his manager and discuss his situation in person.

The striker was also unable to meet Miguel Angel Gil Marin, another figure he considers important to his future. Atletico’s chief executive was on holiday, leaving Alvarez without either of the two people he had expected to approach in the hope of resolving the issue through dialogue.

Alvarez completed two training sessions on Tuesday. In the afternoon, he met Atletico sporting director Mateu Alemany, who had been present at training and has been at the Cerro del Espino training complex for several days.

His agent, Fernando Hidalgo, has also remained close to the player during the dispute. Hidalgo has played a significant role in supporting Alvarez and has been responsible for taking him to and from the training ground.

Mundo Deportivo reports that Alvarez is deeply frustrated. The newspaper says his position has been clear since Monday: he remains determined to leave Atletico, does not want the club to count on him and is prepared to take stronger action if necessary.

The report adds that Alvarez has been trying to settle the disagreement through discussion for some time, but believes those efforts have failed.

The striker was particularly unhappy that Simeone did not attend training on Monday. Alvarez reportedly believes the manager already knew that he wanted to speak to him and feels Simeone should have dealt with the matter personally given the sensitivity of the situation.

Simeone’s decision to travel to Ibiza therefore increased the frustration of a player who was already under pressure.

After Wednesday morning’s training session, Alvarez plans to tell Simeone that he remains committed to leaving Atletico and that Barcelona is still his preferred destination. According to sources close to the player cited by Mundo Deportivo, Alvarez was promised by the club in February that it would facilitate a transfer this summer.

The face-to-face meeting is now viewed as the key moment in the dispute. The conversation Alvarez had hoped to have on Monday is finally expected to take place on Wednesday, but the circumstances have changed significantly.

Rather than simply explaining his position, the striker will arrive feeling increasingly dissatisfied and believing that discussions have reached an impasse. He has also warned that he is willing to take further steps if that is required to find a solution.