Julian Alvarez has returned to Atletico Madrid training with renewed commitment after a proposed summer move to Arsenal collapsed, and teammate Lautaro Martinez has revealed the private messages he sent the striker during the turmoil.
Return to training
The 26-year-old Argentine was linked with a move away from Atletico Madrid throughout the summer transfer window, with Arsenal and Barcelona touted as potential destinations. Alvarez is said to have told Atletico bosses he wanted out of the club, but the move did not transpire.
According to reports in Spain, Alvarez has returned from his absence refreshed and ready to go again. He was absent from three consecutive training sessions, citing illness, and did not travel with the squad to face Sevilla. He made his return in a 3-0 defeat to Athletic Club earlier in September and delivered an impressive display, despite ongoing jeers from Atletico supporters.
Commitment in training
This commitment has reportedly carried over into training, with AS claiming he is "a new Julian Alvarez." The Spanish publication stated that the forward participated in a demanding session centred on pressure, ball circulation and tackling. Alvarez is understood to have found the net during the training session and completed additional conditioning work with a fitness coach while his teammates were stretching.
Atletico boss Diego Simeone addressed the forward ahead of last weekend's fixture, expressing his desire that the collapsed move proved "a learning experience."
Simeone said: "Julian Alvarez will be in the squad tomorrow. He's training well, and we expect the best from him, just as we do from all his team-mates. For me, life is full of opportunities, and Julian now has an opportunity. A lot of the time, we spend our lives judging.
"We need to worry less about that and learn more. I hope this has served as a learning experience for him. I hope he's happy and, as [Paulo] Futre [Atletico Madrid's director of football] told him yesterday in a lovely video... that he shows it by scoring goals."
Private texts revealed
Meanwhile, Lautaro Martinez has publicly backed Arsenal target Alvarez, offering solidarity to the 26-year-old amid his transfer turmoil. The fellow Argentina international has travelled to Madrid with Inter Milan to face Real and offered his perspective on Alvarez's predicament.
The 29-year-old said: "I spoke with him, sent him a message, and showed him my support. Beyond the fact that we share the same position and competed for a spot on the national team, he's a friend.
"The situation he's going through and is going through isn't easy, but the decision is his clubs."
Paying tribute to Alvarez's ability, Martinez went on to say: "I wish him all the best and hope he gets well soon and continues to show what he has shown so far, that he is one of the best players in the world."
