Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has made it clear that Julian Alvarez is not expected to leave the Spanish club during the current transfer window, despite strong interest from several European giants.

The Argentine forward has attracted attention from Barcelona, Arsenal and Real Madrid following an impressive two-year spell in Madrid.

Real Madrid reportedly made a €150 million offer for the 26-year-old in June, but Atletico turned it down.

Simeone said the club’s position on Alvarez is straightforward and stressed that the striker remains an important part of Atletico’s plans for the new season. The coach also expressed his satisfaction with the player’s contribution since arriving from Manchester City.

Alvarez has scored 49 goals for Atletico since his move from the Premier League champions two years ago, establishing himself as one of the club’s key attacking players.

The player had previously suggested during the World Cup that a transfer could benefit all parties, although he did not identify where he would prefer to continue his career.

Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin has also insisted that the club intends to keep Alvarez. He said the Spanish side had already rejected a €100 million proposal and would not be persuaded by offers of €150 million or even €200 million.

Simeone referred to Antoine Griezmann’s previous experience with Barcelona and Atletico when discussing how Alvarez could handle the transfer speculation.

For now, Atletico are focused on preparing for the new campaign, with their La Liga opener against newly promoted Malaga scheduled for August 19