Atletico Madrid take drastic action after Julian Alvarez's brutal Atletico Madrid reception

Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez looked mentally shot after being handed a brutal reception from his own supporters amid transfer speculation.

Alvarez was a substitute in Atletico's 2-2 draw with Villarreal at the Metropolitano Stadium and came on in the 66th minute.

But with his future dominating headlines and reports that he wants to leave, Atleti fans gave him a hard time.

When his name was read out over the PA system beforehand, it was met with deafening whistles. Footage showed Alvarez sat on the bench, looking in visible distress.

On social media, one fan remarked that he looked "mentally destroyed" and certainly not in an ideal condition to play.

The same reception arrived when he was introduced, replacing Marc Pubill. At the end of the game, Alvarez had initially stayed on the pitch but the loud jeers led to him walking down the tunnel.

It mean that as every single Atleti player went over to the fans to applaud them, the Argentina international was alone by himself and heading back to the dressing room.

READ MORE: Julian Alvarez's agent has got people talking with post during Arsenal vs Coventry

An Atletico scarf was thrown in the direction of the former Manchester City man and he did not acknowledge in

In his post-match press conference, Diego Simeone revealed that it was the club's decision to stop Alvarez from greeting the supporters because of the potential for it to get very ugly.

A clip circulating online showed Alvarez being attended to by a member of the club's communications department before walking away from the squad.

Goalkeeper Jan Oblak spoke about the tender situation and expressed his hope that it can be resolved.

"I think we all need to stay united," he stated.

"Julian Alvarez is with us, and as long as he's with us, we're going to support him.

"It's not a comfortable situation for anyone. Hopefully it gets resolved and we can stay united throughout the whole season."

Linked with Arsenal, Alvarez has spoken about his desire to leave Atletico and is understood to want to join Barcelona.

However, the club are not willing to sanction his sale to a direct rival.

CEO Gil Marin Miguel Angel Gil Marin is adamant that the club want Alvarez to stay put but aimed a dig at those advising him.

He said: "Atletico Madrid, like all great clubs, is built with great players, and I’m certain that Julian is one, as well as a great professional. We must compete based on our values, with homegrown talent and the best players from outside that we can bring in.

"We are going to help Julian and continue to take care of him so that he can give us his full potential, because we need him to continue competing among the greats of Europe. We must understand that Julian has not had the best advisors around him regarding his professional career in recent months.

Marin added: "We cannot allow other clubs and their affiliated media to dictate what we have to do, dictate our sporting strategy, and disrespect us.

"That’s precisely what they’re trying to do – divide us. It’s clear we’re not as powerful as they are but we have values. We Atletico fans won’t let them corrupt us. Atleti is strong when we’re all together."

Alvarez joined in 2024 and has scored 49 goals in 107 appearances.