Diego Simeone has said Julian Alvarez can return to Atletico Madrid's squad if the forward resumes training, despite the club's emphatic decision not to entertain a transfer to Barcelona.
Alvarez will miss Atletico's La Liga visit to Sevilla on Saturday after sitting out three training sessions. Simeone confirmed the striker is not fit to travel, while reports differ slightly on the immediate framing of his absence: one described a series of missed sessions amid the transfer impasse, while another said the coach cited Alvarez's current health.
The practical outcome is clearer than the cause. Atletico will go to Seville without Alvarez and without Alexander Sorloth, whose muscle problem removes another specialist centre-forward from Simeone's options.
A public refusal, but no final resolution
Atletico have issued two statements in quick succession underlining that Barcelona will not be allowed to sign Alvarez. The board has backed that position unanimously, arguing that the approach from their league rivals did not meet the standards the club expected for negotiations.
That language matters because it closes the Barcelona route rather than declaring that Alvarez is entirely unsellable. Multiple outlets portray Arsenal as the remaining credible destination should the player leave before the window closes. Neither report, however, identifies a formal Arsenal offer, a timetable for a deal or Alvarez's own next step.
Simeone's intervention adds another layer. He did not challenge the club's stance, but neither did he speak as though the relationship with the 26-year-old had reached an irreversible point. His message was that Atletico would support Alvarez and restore his importance within the group when he comes back.
It is a deliberately conciliatory position. By leaving room for reintegration, Simeone protects the team's sporting interests if no acceptable transfer emerges. It also avoids turning an already public dispute into a permanent dressing-room split.
Atletico's immediate attacking problem
The absence of both Alvarez and Sorloth gives the Sevilla match a more pressing significance than a standard transfer saga. Simeone acknowledged that the team must find collective solutions for goals, rather than simply replacing either forward with like-for-like alternatives.
That could mean greater responsibility for Atletico's wide attackers and midfield runners, as well as a more cautious approach to possession in a difficult away fixture. The coach has stressed that Sevilla arrive encouraged by two consecutive victories, which suggests Atletico should expect a side prepared to press the advantage of a depleted visiting attack.
Cristian Romero will travel after his summer move from Tottenham, but Simeone has indicated the defender is not yet ready to be hurried into a starting role. His presence offers depth rather than an immediate answer to the shortage at the other end of the pitch.
The available match model makes Atletico narrow favourites, assigning them a 39% chance of victory compared with Sevilla's 35%, with a 26% draw probability. Its moderate 48% confidence reflects how little separates the teams in the Sevilla vs Atletico Madrid prediction, and Atletico's missing forwards are an obvious reason the contest may not follow a straightforward script.
Calm words, unanswered questions
Simeone has rejected the suggestion that Alvarez's uncertainty is disrupting the wider squad, pointing instead to encouraging recent displays against Malaga and Villarreal. That assessment will be tested more severely in Seville, where the manager must show that his side can function without two major attacking outlets.
The key unanswered issue remains whether Alvarez's absence is short-term conditioning management, a consequence of the strained transfer situation, or both. Atletico have been decisive about Barcelona, but they have not publicly set out the conditions under which another club could sign him.
For now, Simeone is keeping every outcome alive: Alvarez could depart elsewhere, remain away from the side for longer, or return to training and be restored to the squad. The Sevilla trip will not settle the transfer question, but it will show how well Atletico can absorb its immediate consequences.