Julian Alvarez considers ending relationship with agent after failed Barcelona move

Julian Alvarez is considering leaving his long-standing agent Fernando Hidalgo following the controversy surrounding his future during the summer transfer window, according to Onda Cero, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.

The Atletico de Madrid striker was heavily linked with a move to Barcelona in recent months, amid reports that the Catalan club wanted to sign him. Atletico, however, remained determined to keep their Argentina international, and Alvarez ultimately stayed with the Rojiblancos.

The uncertainty over his future also affected his relationship with Atletico manager Diego Simeone. The dispute has now led Alvarez to reassess the representation of his career, with contact understood to have taken place with The Elegant Game, the agency linked to former Argentina international Javier Pastore.

There has been no formal confirmation that Alvarez and Hidalgo have ended their partnership. However, Mundo Deportivo says people within the striker’s circle have been raising the possibility with him for some time, because they believe Hidalgo did not handle the player’s affairs in the best possible way.

The Elegant Game represents several players, including Enzo Fernandez, who is a friend of Alvarez and recently moved from Chelsea to Manchester City. That connection has made Pastore’s agency a prominent option in Alvarez’s current thinking.

Atletico have also placed responsibility for the events surrounding Alvarez firmly on Hidalgo. The club’s chief executive, Miguel Angel Gil Marin, directly criticised the agent and Barcelona when he said: “Julian is very ill. There are people trying to deceive and mislead him.”

Alvarez’s decision to remain at Atletico means that any split from Hidalgo could be viewed as an attempt to improve relations with the Madrid club and its supporters. According to the report, neither the player nor his representatives had offered a gesture towards the club’s fans after the events of the summer.

No final decision has yet been made about Alvarez’s representation. The discussions come after a particularly tense period for the Argentina forward, whose name was strongly connected with a move to Barcelona while Atletico continued to reject the prospect of his departure.