Arsenal continue Alvarez pursuit - Friday's gossip

Diego Simeone, the Atletico Madrid manager, is doing everything in his power to make Julian Alvarez feel valued when he resumes training. This comes amid ongoing speculation about the striker's future at the Spanish club. Atletico has made it abundantly clear that they will not sell Alvarez to Barcelona, with a move to Arsenal appearing to be his only avenue out of the club.

Manager Simeone confirmed Alvarez will not join the team for their upcoming La Liga match against Sevilla due to health concerns, as he has missed three consecutive training sessions.

Simeone emphasized that once Alvarez is back in good health, he will do everything possible to ensure the player feels important. He also stated that as long as a person remains healthy, life's challenges can be overcome. The La Liga club has issued two public statements in the past 24 hours, reaffirming their position that Alvarez will not be granted permission to join Barcelona in the near future.

Simeone acknowledged that questions regarding Alvarez's situation would be a major focus during his press conference but maintained that the club had been forceful and clear in their communication.

The absence of injured Norwegian striker Alexander Sorloth, who is also unavailable, leaves Atletico without two key attacking options. Simeone expressed disappointment over Sorloth's lack, stating that he is very important for the team. With Alvarez out of the picture, the club will need to find solutions collectively to score goals and secure a victory against Sevilla.

The team has been performing well recently, defeating Malaga and Villarreal, and is focused on delivering a strong performance in their upcoming match. New defender Cristian Romero, who joined Atletico from Tottenham for a fee of 40 million euros, will travel with the squad to Sevilla, though Simeone cautioned against rushing him to regain his best form.