Simeone fires back as Barcelona circles Alvarez: transfer drama heats up

Simeone's response to Barcelona's pursuit

Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid's coach, responded to Barcelona's bid to woo Julian Alvarez, the club's forward, in indirect fashion.

Alvarez, Yamal, and the transfer chatter

The Catalan club posted on its official accounts a photo of Alvarez alongside Lamine Yamal after the sides met, a 3-1 Barca win at Camp Nou on Tuesday.

Simeone spoke at a Friday press conference, saying, \"Alvarez and Yamal are two big stars, and it's natural the spotlight should fall on them.\"

Alvarez is among the top names linked with a potential move to Barca, as the Catalans seek a clinical striker to replace Poland's Robert Lewandowski.

In the same breath, Simeone defended the Argentine forward, adding, \"We treat Julian with the same standards we apply to every player.\"

The Atletico coach also noted that Alvarez might not score as many in the short term, yet he has 39 goals since joining the club.

Atlético Madrid now head into a difficult away game at Athletic Bilbao, who themselves want a bounce-back after a 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid at San Mamés.

Punchline 1: If this transfer saga were a goal, it would be a rumor-assisted chip into the far corner—spectacular to watch and slightly offside.

Punchline 2: Barcelona chasing a striker? Simeone's defense is so stubborn you could park a bus in front of the goal and it would still refuse to let it in. Not today, rumor mill.