Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has expressed high hopes for new signing Julian Alvarez, who recently joined the club from Manchester City in a deal reportedly worth around 75 million euros.
Simeone is optimistic that Alvarez could feature in Atletico’s LaLiga opener against Villarreal on Monday.
Diego Simeone spoke highly of Alvarez during a press conference on Sunday, highlighting his rapid adaptation to the team.
“Julian is a player we are excited to see in action. He has adapted quickly in just a few days of training. He shows a lot of enthusiasm and fits well with the Atleti DNA,” Simeone said.
Atletico Madrid has invested heavily this summer, with over 150 million euros spent on Alvarez, Spain EURO 2024 defender Robin Le Normand, and last season’s LaLiga top scorer, Alexander Sorloth. Despite these significant signings, Simeone tempered expectations, particularly with Real Madrid’s recent successes and their acquisition of Kylian Mbappe.
Simeone acknowledged the strong start of Real Madrid, who won both the Champions League and LaLiga last season.
“Real Madrid starts the season as the best team and will need to prove it with their incredible squad. We need to focus on our team and take it game by game,” he stated.
The Atletico boss also noted that the squad is not yet complete, with ongoing negotiations to sign Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.
“We still need to strengthen the squad to be competitive. Barcelona remains a strong team, and Real Madrid continues to grow. Our focus should be on ourselves and how we progress through the season,” Simeone added.
