Atletico Madrid aim to convince Julian Alvarez they belong among elite on Arsenal visit
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Julian Alvarez’s performances have drawn admiration from his former Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola.
PHOTO: EPA
MADRID – Julian Alvarez has established himself as Atletico Madrid’s key player but the club still need to prove to the Argentina international they belong among Europe’s elite and can fulfil his ambitions.
The Rojiblancos’ visit to last season’s semi-finalists Arsenal in the Champions League on Oct 21 (Oct 22, Singapore time) is a fine opportunity to test their mettle.
Diego Simeone’s side are unbeaten in six games across all competitions since they fell to a last-minute defeat by Liverpool at Anfield in September.
In the following days, there was renewed speculation that Barcelona were interested in signing Alvarez next summer as a replacement for Polish veteran Robert Lewandowski.
“People always talk,” said Alvarez, neither fanning the flames of the rumours nor quashing them. He joined Atletico in a deal worth €85 million (S$128.2 million) from Manchester City in the summer of 2024 and scored 29 times in a strong first season.
Veteran Antoine Griezmann’s influence on the team receded and Alvarez took up the reins, particularly in the second half of the campaign.
The striker had a controversially disallowed penalty in the shoot-out against Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16 last season, as Atletico were knocked out.
The club rebuilt this summer and although they took a while to find their rhythm, Alvarez has raised his game to a higher level.
The 25-year-old scored a hat-trick against Rayo Vallecano to claim a 3-2 win for his side, before netting twice against Real in a 5-2 rout of Atletico’s La Liga arch-rivals.
Alvarez also scored and created two more goals as Atletico thrashed Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 in their second Champions League match to get back on track in Europe.
Before that run of matches, he appeared frustrated with Simeone, who hooked him repeatedly before the end of matches. Alvarez later said lip-readers had got it wrong and he had not criticised his coach.
However, after his outburst and the Barcelona links, Simeone realised keeping the striker happy was a top priority.
“Julian is an extraordinary player, he is committed to the team, he is committed to the club, he is giving his all, obviously, and we are delighted to have him with us,” said the coach of his compatriot.
“We have to take good care of him so that he stays with us for many years to come.”
Simeone also said Alvarez, who won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022, was Atletico’s “best” player, in a rare break from his usual team-first approach.
Alvarez’s performances have drawn admiration as well from his former coach Pep Guardiola, who praised him last week.
“Julian had to compete with Erling (Haaland), which was something extraordinary for us. Now he’s at one of the best teams in the world, Atletico Madrid, with a world-class coach and teammates, and he’s performing incredibly well,” said the Man City boss.
Alvarez will not come up against many tougher defences than Mikel Arteta’s Gunners at the Emirates.
Playmaker Alex Baena’s return from injury is a boost for Atletico and Alvarez, who already showed signs of a good connection with the summer arrival on Oct 18, as their team edged out Osasuna 1-0.
The key to keeping Alvarez happy, though, will be showing they can defeat teams of Arsenal’s calibre on the way to silverware. AFP
