Julian Alvarez's future at Atletico Madrid has been one of the biggest talking points of the summer. But now that it is certain the Argentina forward will remain at Atleti until at least the January transfer window, the focus can turn to how the 26-year-old re-establishes himself in Diego Simeone's side. With three consecutive away games ahead, Simeone has the opportunity to ease him back into the team - away from the glare of their own fans.
But the bigger challenge for Alvarez may be convincing supporters that his focus is firmly on Atletico, after making clear during the summer that he would have preferred a move to Barcelona. Throughout the saga Simeone has consistently backed Alvarez publicly, emphasising the forward's importance to his plans - both as a player and person. In August, he described him as "one of the players, or the best player, we have offensively" and said he wanted to "build a team around him", pointing to the forward's "power, quality, hierarchy and talent".
That support has continued throughout these past few weeks of uncertainty. Alvarez missed Atletico's opening game against Malaga after Simeone said he needed more training following his return to pre-season. He returned to the Metropolitano for the following match against Villarreal, but it was an uncomfortable night for the Argentina forward.
He was booed by the club's fans when his name was announced, during the warm-up and again when he came on in the second half. After the final whistle, while his team-mates stayed on the pitch to thank the supporters, Alvarez walked alone down the tunnel. Simeone later stressed that this was the club's decision, not the player's, saying: "The decision was not Julian Alvarez's; it was the club's decision to separate him and send him to the dressing room." Alvarez then missed three consecutive training sessions because of an illness and was subsequently ruled out of Atletico's trip to Sevilla.
Simeone confirmed his absence before the match, but reiterated his support for the forward and said he would do everything possible to make him feel important when he returned. "We will help him because he is an extraordinary player," he said, while insisting that the club's approach remained focused on supporting him. Alvarez eventually returned to full group training on Sunday, putting him back in contention for selection.
Simeone considers his fellow Argentine central to Atletico's plans, but the forward's response will now have to come on the pitch. Atleti have already shown they can cope without Alvarez. In his absence against Sevilla, Simeone moved Alex Baena into a false-nine role, with the Spain international responding with two goals in a 3-1 victory.
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