Julian Alvarez told what to do next after failed Arsenal transfer and true colours shown
Julian Alvarez in action for Atletico Madrid against Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Julian Alvarez has been told to "pull his pants up and get on with it" after he failed to secure a transfer this summer.
Alvarez, 26, made it clear he wanted to leave Atletico Madrid during the transfer window. He was pushing for a move to Barcelona, though Arsenal were thought to be the closest challengers for his signature.
The Gunners made an attempt to try and sign Alvarez from Atletico in a deal that could have been worth around £128million, but ultimately failed in their efforts, with the forward instead prioritising a switch to Barca.
Despite Alvarez's plea, Atletico stood firm and decided to keep him beyond the September 1 deadline. He has since featured for Diego Simeone's side against Athletic Club in La Liga and then Liverpool in the Champions League.
The Argentine, who was subject of a £86million bid from Barca late in the summer, was a second-half substitute in Sunday's defeat at Athletic before starting and assisting in the 2-1 loss at Liverpool on Wednesday.
Although Atletico were beaten at Anfield, Alvarez impressed and that could kickstart his season following a disappointing start amid speculation around his future.
Speaking before Atletico's trip to Merseyside, former Liverpool and Real Madrid forward Steve McManaman offered advice to Alvarez about how he can forget the summer saga and focus on the season ahead.
Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid(Image: Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
McManaman told TNT Sports: "The fans will need a while, because the reception he received a couple of weeks ago was really bad [but] there's nothing like getting the crowd on your side and scoring a couple of goals.
"Really fractured summer for him. He wants to go to Barcelona, Atleti said 'You're absolutely not going.' They didn't change their mind… the club stood their ground. He's back, he's going to stay for the foreseeable future, and he needs to pull his pants up and get on with it."
McManaman's comments came a matter of hours after Atletico president Enrique Cerezo claimed the topic around Alvarez's future is "closed" but conceded he is "suffering" following speculation around a potential move.
"I see Alvarez in good shape, but the truth is that he is suffering after what happened recently, and that is a cause for concern," Cerezo told Spanish news outlet Sport.
He added: "I think his recovery is going well, and when the coach sees that the time is right, he will return to play. The Julian case is closed."
A report emerged earlier this week that Alvarez is showing a different attitude in Atletico training compared to a couple of weeks ago. He was described as "a new Julian Alvarez" by AS, with the Madrid-based outlet revealing that he scored in Monday's training session and was working hard to get back to full sharpness.
Alvarez could be back in action for Atletico when they face Real Sociedad in La Liga on Sunday. They then host Osasuna before making the trip to Real Madrid.
Arsenal face Napoli in their opening Champions League fixture on September 9. Fans can watch the game live on TNT Sports via HBO Max or Prime Video's TNT Sports channel.
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