Julian Alvarez is reportedly like a "new" man following his unsuccessful transfer saga this summer, with Arsenal still keen on the £128m-rated Atletico Madrid forward.
The Argentine striker was eager for a switch to Barcelona, with Arsenal also in the mix, but neither move came to fruition. The 26-year-old skipped three consecutive training sessions, citing illness, and did not join the team for their match against Sevilla.
Alvarez's behaviour comes to light
The former Manchester City forward made a comeback in a 3-0 defeat to Athletic Club earlier in September and performed well, despite ongoing boos from the Atleti supporters, reports the Mirror.
This effort is now said to have carried over into training, with AS reporting that he is "a new Julian Alvarez". The Spanish news outlet noted the striker participated in an intense session focusing on pressure, ball movement and "stealing".
Alvarez reportedly found the net during this training session and also undertook additional work with a fitness coach to boost his conditioning while team-mates completed stretching exercises.
Atleti boss addresses striker
Atleti boss Diego Simeone addressed the striker ahead of last weekend's fixture, expressing hope that the collapsed transfer served as "a learning experience".
Simeone said: "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."
Alvarez has been included in Atletico's travelling squad for their Champions League campaign opener against Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Team-mate speaks out
Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan has voiced his backing for Arsenal target Alvarez, offering solidarity to the striker amid his transfer turmoil.
The fellow Argentina international, who featured in Inter Milan's loss to Real Madrid, outlined Alvarez's predicament from his viewpoint.
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."
Praising Alvarez's skill, Martinez added: "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."
