Atletico Madrid president makes clear Julian Alvarez statement amid Barcelona 'dream'

Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has offered his verdict on the future of forward Julian Alvarez.

Throughout this summer, Alvarez has expressed his desire to leave Los Rojiblancos and several clubs have shown an interest in his signature, most notably Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

The 26-year-old, who is contracted to the Spanish giants until June 2030, has a reported eye-watering asking price of £150million, making any possible move even harder.

Alvarez is currently focused on helping Argentina achieve more World Cup glory, and he is expected to start in Friday's round of 32 clash against Cape Verde, with his future being placed on the back burner.

That being said, Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal has urged Alvarez to join him at Camp Nou, potentially opening the door for a blockbuster transfer after Real Madrid saw a whopping £129m bid rejected in June.

But despite the player expressing his desire to depart this summer, Atletico Madrid president Cerezo is adamant that the versatile Argentine will remain in the Spanish capital once the transfer window slams shut in September.

"Julián Álvarez? Nothing has changed, he will stay at Atléti," Cerezo said. "There are zero bids now. Even if there will be proposals, Alvarez will end up staying because we don’t want to sell."

Maxi Rodriguez has joined Yamal in telling Alvarez to join Barcelona, suggesting that it's best if both clubs avoid creating a transfer saga.

“I don't know the exact situation; everyone is always going to look out for their own interests. The best thing is to reach a solution," Rodriguez said.

“Fans always want what's best for their club, and Julián wants what's best for himself too. We have to take responsibility for the things we do. But... I can't talk about it because I don't know the full situation.

“I don't know exactly what the positions are. It's difficult to analyse or speak from the outside.”

Alvarez has plundered 49 goals and supplied 17 assists in 106 appearances for Atleti, so it is no surprise that Cerezo is desperate to hold onto his prized asset.

Alvarez wants to 'fulfil his dream' of playing for Barcelona

While Atletico Madrid are happy to snub any advances for their No.19, they risk an unhappy player disrupting the dressing room harmony.

Alvarez ultimately wants to 'fulfil his dream' of playing for Barcelona, and it appears he will eventually move to the Camp Nou, even if it isn't during this transfer window.

"I spoke with ​people at the club, with those I had to speak with and the ​best thing for everyone is ‌a transfer and I want to fulfil my dream," Alvarez ​said after Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria last week.

"It's not the time to talk about ​this, but I also can't hide ⁠it. I try to ⁠be an honest person."

Speculation over the World Cup winner's future could continue to drag on throughout the rest of the window, and it will be interesting to see whether he is allowed to join Barca.