Diego Simeone has urged everyone connected with Atletico Madrid to rally around Julian Alvarez after he was booed by his own supporters on Sunday.
The Argentina international has rendered himself persona non grata after he publicly declared during the World Cup that it was his dream to join Barcelona this summer.
Atletico, however, have remained adamant that their star striker will not be permitted to join their La Liga rivals.
Arsenal, who want to add a star name to their forward line before the window closes, have asked to be kept informed of the 26-year-old’s situation.
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The former Manchester City forward had previously intimated he had little desire to return to the Premier League, but the reception he received on Sunday at the Metropolitano Stadium when he was jeered by the home fans appears to have softened his stance.
The match had been simmering with tension long before the late drama which saw Simeone’s side snatch a late equaliser, with Atletico supporters turning their frustration on Alvarez.
The centre forward was abused while warming up, jeered again when his name was announced among the substitutes and met with louder whistles when he came on in the 66th minute.
A section of the crowd chanted: ‘Let him leave once and for all, let him leave’.
The hostility followed him beyond the final whistle as he headed straight to the changing room while teammates saluted the fans, drawing another heavy round of boos.
Despite his position appearing to be untenable, Simeone issued a message of support after the game insisting he has a duty of care to a player who has scored 49 goals in his two seasons with the club.
He said: ‘To win titles you need a strike. We’re competing with the players we have. Until today, I was telling the players before going out onto the pitch that as long as they’re on the team, I’m fully committed to them.
‘We need strikers, good strikers. We have him, and we have to take care of him.’
‘I think we all need to be united. Julian is with us on the team, and as long as he’s here, we’re going to support him.
‘We want the best for him because we know what he can contribute. It’s an uncomfortable situation for everyone, but hopefully it will be resolved and we’ll all be happy at the end of the season.’
Grimaldo , who made his first start in LaLiga on Sunday, added: ‘I see him doing well. He’s an incredible striker, it’s a pleasure to play with him. You can see the quality he has, he’s a game-changer.
‘Julian is a great teammate. He’s a fantastic player. We’re with him and we have to support him , and as long as he’s on our team, we’re going to fight for him until the very end.
‘First of all, we’re always stronger together. That’s always been what has defined Atletico, making them different from the rest. He’s one of our players, so we’re going to give our all for him on the pitch and fight together.
‘We all have to be pulling in the same direction, because otherwise, we’ll be divided, and that’s not good.’
