Simeone praises Alvarez's attitude after failed Arsenal and Barcelona moves

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Julian Alvarez is working his way back into Diego Simeone's plans at Atletico Madrid, months after Arsenal failed in their pursuit of the forward and the player himself pushed for a move to Barcelona.

Arsenal explored a deal for Alvarez during the summer transfer window as Mikel Arteta looked to bolster his attacking options. Atletico, however, refused to budge, and the Argentine ended up staying put following a turbulent few weeks that saw him miss several training sessions in a bid to force through a switch to Barcelona instead.

That approach from Barcelona was firmly rejected by Atletico, with the club issuing two separate public statements during the summer confirming Alvarez would not be sold to their La Liga rivals under any circumstances.

Simeone sees a change in Alvarez

Alvarez has since returned to Simeone's squad and made an impact off the bench as Atletico beat Alaves at the Estadio de Mendizorroza on Saturday, coming on at half-time.

Speaking after the match, Simeone praised the forward's application. “I thought Julian looked good today,” he said. “He came on with enthusiasm, eager to do well and help the team. He finished the match well.”

Ahead of the game, the Atletico boss had also spoken positively about the forward's mindset. “I see him in good shape, enthusiastic, and he has the desire to give everything he has, as he always does. When he is in good shape, he gives us a different dimension in attack.”

Atletico have made a solid start to the season but sit five points behind leaders Barcelona after eight games.

Gil Marin's strong words over Barcelona approach

The club's frustration with Barcelona's pursuit of Alvarez was made clear by chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin back in August. “Our intention and my personal dream is for him to stay with us, to remain at Atletico,” he said, as reported by football.london.

“To compete among the greats, you need great players, and Julian is one. If he believes that staying at Atletico Madrid is no longer feasible, we will look for an alternative, but it will never, ever be Barcelona.”

Gil Marin went further, condemning the manner of Barcelona's approach. “The truth is that it outrages us even more. We are repulsed by the dishonesty, the lack of ethics, transparency and professionalism, and we can only insist that we will not negotiate with Barcelona under any circumstances.”

With Alvarez now back in Simeone's good graces and Atletico showing no willingness to sanction a sale, any renewed Arsenal interest would likely have to wait for a future transfer window, should circumstances at the Wanda Metropolitano change.