How Alvarez needs to rebuild trust at Atletico

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.

Baena's performance demonstrated that Atletico have other attacking options, but Alvarez remains a different profile and one of the most important players in Simeone's plans.

With three away games ahead, Simeone can gradually bring Alvarez back into the side and allow him to rediscover his rhythm away from 70,000 Atleti fans.

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho was also asked about the situation.

He pointed to Simeone's unique understanding of both Alvarez and Atletico, saying: "There's no other manager that knows him better and knows the club better than Simeone."

Mourinho added: "If a player is not satisfied, by 1 September, when the window is closed, he has to be. Otherwise, he won't play again until 1 January."

Perhaps the biggest challenge for Alvarez now is rebuilding his relationship with the Atleti supporters.

Sections of the fanbase have made their feelings very clear, with Alvarez whistled and jeered during the opening weeks of the season.

"It's completely understandable that Atleti didn't want to agree to Barca's terms, just because he wanted to go there," Atleti supporter Dani said. "It doesn't just work like that."

"Atleti wants to compete with the best in La Liga and they can't just sell our best player directly to our rival for very little."

From the supporters' perspective, that frustration is understandable. If your star striker appears to want to leave, particularly if the destination could be one of your biggest rivals, winning back that backing is never going to happen overnight.

"His words and attitude were completely unexpected," another supporter, Ignacio, said.

"He has probably been badly advised by his agent and those around him.

"Even if he apologises it is clear he has a desire to leave and, now that the window has closed, it will feel like a forced apology."

The club paid a record £81.5m to sign him from Manchester City in 2024, giving him a six-year contract and making him one of the biggest investments of Simeone's tenure.

He has repaid some of that investment with 49 goals and 17 assists in 107 appearances and, for much of his time in Madrid, has enjoyed the support of the fans. The challenge now is to rebuild that connection.

"If he starts scoring goals, people will start feeling anxious," Dani said.

"But then there's the fans who never forget. People still haven't forgiven [Antoine] Griezmann for what he did, and he apologised on the pitch in front of 60,000 people at the end of last season".

Antoine Griezmann's departure for Barcelona in 2019 left a sour taste among the Atletico fanbase, but, when he returned two years later, he gradually rebuilt that relationship through his performances and commitment.

By the time he left in 2026, he had won back the majority of the supporters and established himself as one of the club's most important figures.

His departure, however, leaves Atletico without an experienced leader in attack.

Simeone will look to Alvarez to take on more responsibility - not only by scoring goals - but by leading the press, creating space and bringing others into the game.

He will have little time to find his rhythm before the Champions League begins.

Atletico face a demanding run of fixtures, including away games against Athletic Club, Liverpool and Real Sociedad, before returning home to face Osasuna and then Real Madrid in La Liga.

If Alvarez can reproduce the form that made him such an important figure at Atletico, the events of the summer may gradually fade into the background.