Atletico Madrid head coach, Diego Simeone, has unexpectedly congratulated Julian Alvarez following his decision to reject a transfer to Arsenal.
The Argentinian forward was considered a target for the Premier League champions after he indicated a desire to leave the Spanish club.
Alvarez, a former Manchester City player, attracted interest from Barcelona, and he aimed for a transfer to the Catalan club.
However, Atletico Madrid blocked the transfer to their rivals, which frustrated the World Cup winner.
The 26-year-old received a negative response from his own fans, but with the transfer window now closed and Alvarez remaining in Madrid for another three months, Simeone is optimistic about moving forward and achieving success for the red side of the Spanish capital.
He said, as quoted by Express Sport, “As far as we’re concerned, he’s a very decisive person, clear in his thinking. I congratulate him because sometimes ego makes us think we’re in a position we shouldn’t be in. We’re very happy with everything he brings to the team. It’s what he feels.
“He is training excellently, he will be included in the squad tomorrow, and we anticipate the best from him, just as we do from all his teammates. I always focus on the future; we have an exciting season ahead filled with numerous challenges and talented players, and we will approach it one match at a time.
“I am very clear on this: life is full of opportunities. And Julian now has one. We often spend our time judging, and we should focus on doing that less and learning more. I hope this has served as a valuable lesson for him.”
Arsenal faced a challenging summer transfer window as they sought to strengthen their title-winning squad. Mikel Arteta’s team aimed to sign several players, including Morgan Rogers, Eli Junior Kroupi, Bradley Barcola, and Vinicius Jr., but their attempts were unsuccessful.
Atletico Madrid experienced pressure to sell Alvarez, yet the club’s management refused to transfer the forward to their rivals.