Julian Alvarez named among substitutes for Atletico Madrid against Villarreal amid Barcelona links

Julian Alvarez has been named on the bench for Atletico Madrid’s La Liga meeting with Villarreal, as speculation continues over the Argentina striker’s future at the Spanish club.

Villarreal are visiting Atletico Madrid in the second round of the league season, with Diego Simeone choosing not to include Alvarez in his starting XI.

The decision comes while Alvarez is being linked with a move away from Atletico Madrid before the end of the summer transfer window. The player reportedly wants to join Barcelona, who are attempting to sign him.

Simeone said on Saturday that Alvarez would be involved in the squad for Sunday’s fixture and suggested the forward was continuing to build up his fitness.

“Alvarez will be included in the squad for Sunday’s match. He is in better shape and is following his fitness programme, like all of his team-mates,” said the Atletico Madrid manager.

Simeone also backed the club’s position on the player and said Alvarez remained central to Atletico Madrid’s plans.

“Angel Miguel, the chief executive of Atletico Madrid, spoke clearly, and I am continuing along the same lines. For me, Julian is a very important player in achieving the objectives we are pursuing as a team. We need him, we will look after him from a sporting perspective, and we will stand by him,” he said.

The manager added that it was difficult for anyone outside the player to fully understand how he was feeling, but insisted Alvarez was conducting himself professionally in training.

“It is obviously very difficult for anyone to know individually how another person feels, because I am not in his place. What I see is that he trains in the best possible way and works with his team-mates with great respect for everyone,” Simeone said.

He was also asked about reports of frustration among Atletico Madrid supporters towards Alvarez. Simeone said he respected the club’s fans but would not endorse personal abuse.

“I want to finish the sentence I began at the last news conference, when I said that I respect our fans. That is absolute and has always been the case, but of course I do not agree with insults or excesses,” he said.

Barcelona remain interested in signing Alvarez as they look for a replacement for Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.

However, Atletico Madrid continue to insist that Alvarez is not for sale, despite the striker’s reported desire to leave the club. For now, his place on the bench against Villarreal adds to the focus on a transfer situation that remains unresolved, with Simeone publicly maintaining that the forward is an important part of his plans.