Julian Alvarez was booed on the pitch by Atletico Madrid supporters and needed to be escorted away by staff following his side's 2-2 draw with Villarreal. The Arsenal transfer target, valued at £128million, has been heavily linked with a move away from the Spanish club this summer.
Atletico reject rival approaches
Atletico turned down an approach from city rivals Real Madrid earlier in the window, while also pushing back against interest from Barcelona. Alvarez has made it clear that he would like to leave this summer for Barcelona, though if forced to sell, Atletico would rather send him abroad.
Atleti have been forthright in stating they will not sell to their La Liga rivals, leaving Alvarez increasingly frustrated.
Hostile reception from own fans
Alvarez was named amongst the substitutes for the 2-2 draw with Villarreal, entering the fray in the second half to a chorus of jeers from his own supporters. He played his part as ten-man Atletico fought back to claim a point, yet received a distinctly hostile reception from the home faithful throughout his time on the pitch.
Alvarez was escorted down the tunnel by club staff while his team-mates acknowledged the supporters at full-time. Once again subjected to jeers as he departed the pitch, the incident has cast further doubt over his long-term future at the club.
Addressing the situation, head coach Diego Simeone said: "It was a club decision to not let Julian Alvarez go over with his teammates to greet the fans."
Prior to the match, the Atleti manager stated: "For me, Julian is an extremely important player for us to achieve our objectives. As long as he's with the team, I'm going to look after him."
Arsenal interest and fan protests
Overnight, The Athletic released a report claiming that Arsenal have a longstanding interest in Alvarez. Atletico maintain that he is not for sale, but privately they would consider offers of £128m. It is currently deemed unlikely that Arsenal would pay that figure, however.
Arsenal are believed to be pursuing a deal for the forward as they seek to strengthen Mikel Arteta's ranks. The Gunners are aiming to defend their Premier League title while going one step further by lifting the Champions League trophy.
Alvarez's remarks regarding a potential switch to Barcelona have sparked considerable fury amongst Atleti supporters, with posters appearing around the club's training ground on Friday morning reading "JULIAN FUERA" ("JULIAN OUT") and displaying the striker's No. 19 crossed out.
