Atletico Madrid star makes dressing room feelings clear on Julian Alvarez after being left out of squad

Atletico Madrid winger Alex Baena has offered his thoughts on teammate Julian Alvarez after he was out of the squad for their 3-1 victory over Sevilla.

An Ademola Lookman strike complemented Baena's first-half double as Diego Simeone's men surged to the top of the LaLiga table, at least for now.

In the build-up to the match in Seville, all the talking points centred on forward Alvarez, who returned to training on Sunday following a brief absence through illness and missed the victory on Saturday.

Alvarez has been subjected to intense transfer speculation throughout the summer, making it clear that he wants to leave the Metropolitano Stadium

The 26-year-old wanted to join Barcelona, according to several reports, but that potential route was shut down by Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin after insisting he would "never, ever" sell the Argentine to Barca.

“The truth is that it outrages us even more; we are repulsed by the dishonesty, the lack of ethics, transparency and professionalism, and we can only insist that we will not negotiate with Barcelona under any circumstances,” Gil Marín said.

“I have the support of everyone working with me, from shareholders to directors, and the only certain and firm decision is that we will not negotiate with Barcelona under any circumstances. You have my word – the player will most certainly not be transferred to Barcelona.”

Marin made those comments after Barca president, Joan Laporta, publicly confessed his desire to sign Alvarez before the end of the window.

Arsenal thought they'd benefit from Atleti not wanting to sell to their LaLiga rivals, having shown interest in the World Cup winner throughout the summer.

However, Alvarez has made it clear that he doesn't want to join the Gunners, despite Mikel Arteta's admiration, according to David Ornstein in the build-up to Liverpool's 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest on TNT Sports.

How Atletico Madrid's dressing room feel about Julian Alvarez

During their 2-2 draw to Villarreal last weekend, Alvarez was met with a chorus of boos from those inside the Metropolitano Stadium after hearing he wanted to secure a dream move to Barcelona.

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When a player is booed, there is usually no way back, and it places the Argentine international in an awkward situation before the window shuts on September 1.

Alvarez appears open to only joining Barca, and there is a greater chance that he remains an Atletico player after deadline day.

When asked about whether Atleti were missing one of their star players, Baena gave a telling response.

"Well, no. The team has done very well. I think both the eleven who started and the eleven who finished did very well," the Spanish international said after their 3-1 win over Sevilla.

"And well, we’ll wait for Julián to get back to the best possible condition after these days of feeling unwell, and we’re waiting for him here."

Baena admitted that the team hasn't missed Alvarez after securing an important three points without his presence, but he is 'waiting' for him to return after featuring in first-team training on Sunday.