Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil believes Julian Alvarez has been “poorly advised” since the season ended and expects him to remain at the club.
Alvarez claimed he wanted to leave Atletico to “fulfil his dream” during a post-match interview at the World Cup, throwing his future into doubt.
Since then, he has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona, with Premier League champions Arsenal also said to be interested in his signature.
Atletico have also previously rejected a €150m offer from Real Madrid, insisting Atletico is not for sale.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has repeatedly said that an offer made by the Blaugrana still stands, but Gil feels Alvarez’s advisors have manufactured the situation.
“Julian has been poorly advised since the season ended, and that, in a way, is what makes me believe that his performances and his attitude will remain exactly as they have always been: those of a very good player, a good person, and a true professional,” Gil told the club’s media channels.
“The truth is that we know Julian. We’ve worked with him over these past two seasons, and we have absolutely no doubts about his character or his professionalism.
“I think both the player and the fans make it very easy. Everything depends on the player’s attitude and, of course, his performances.
“In the end, Atletico Madrid knows exactly what it wants. It wants committed players and players who deliver on the pitch.
“That’s why I believe every Atletico Madrid fan’s dream, mine included, is to see Julian scoring goals for Atletico Madrid and winning trophies with Atletico Madrid.
“And I truly believe that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”
Full interview here https://t.co/WQYXovilkm pic.twitter.com/JMcdZPzYYg
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) July 17, 2026
Since Alvarez’s Atletico debut in August 2024, he has scored the most goals (49) and had the most shots of any player for the club (238), while he has also registered the joint-most assists (17).
He also contributed to 29 goals (20 goals, nine assists) in 49 games for Atletico in 2025-26 (not including the Club World Cup), the fifth-most among LaLiga players.
Laporta has repeatedly claimed that Alvarez wishes to join Barcelona and said a deal can be done, but Gil’s stance on the Argentina forward is clear.
“I spoke to Laporta personally. I told him: ‘Please, just let it go. We do not want to sell Julian Alvarez, and we are not going to sell him. Stop insisting,'” Gil added.
“But he keeps this situation alive because, in part, he enjoys it. He is frivolous and loves maintaining this relationship with the fans and the media.”
