Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has spoken out on Julian Alvarez's future amid continuing speculation about a summer transfer to Barcelona.
Alvarez has said he wants to leave Atletico and feels a transfer is "the best thing for everyone" but Los Colchoneros continue to insist he's not for sale.
There's been speculation that Simeone is happy for Alvarez to leave as he doesn't want players who are not 100% committed, but the Atletico boss was certainly full of praise for his striker when quizzed on the situation.
"He's the player we have in mind to create plays around. His future is tomorrow's match; the best thing for him is to focus on that, not think about everything that's been said. Things will work themselves out as they always do," he told ESPN.
"From the moment he arrived, I knew he was a different kind of player, one who brought an attacking quality that's very hard to find. Julián is among the top five in the world. Thanks to his hard work and the growth he experienced at City and Atlético, he's reached this point and these numbers (market value). We'll see what happens.