Atletico Madrid's manager, Diego Simeone, has expressed high hopes for his recent acquisition, Julian Alvarez, anticipating significant contributions from the 24-year-old Argentine forward as the team aims to compete with Real Madrid and Barcelona for major honors. Alvarez, who joined Atletico just last week following a reported 75 million euros ($82.7 million) transfer from Manchester City, could potentially feature in Monday's La Liga match against Villarreal, according to Simeone.
"Julian (Alvarez) is a player we are all eager to see in action and who we believe will enhance our performance. His integration was rapid; he only arrived recently and has been training for just four days, yet he is adapting quickly," Simeone shared during a Sunday press conference. "I see him brimming with enthusiasm, aware of his journey and his future direction. His skills align well with the Atletico Madrid ethos."
Despite investing over 150 million euros in Alvarez, Euro 2024-winning defender Robin Le Normand, and last season's LaLiga top scorer Alexander Sorloth, Simeone tempered title expectations. As negotiations for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher continue, Simeone emphasized the need for further reinforcements to compete against Real Madrid, last season's Champions League and LaLiga double winners, who have since added France captain Kylian Mbappe to their roster.
"Real Madrid begins the season as the strongest team and must demonstrate their prowess with their exceptional players, while the rest of us aim to challenge them," Simeone stated. "Our squad is not yet finalized, and we must concentrate on tomorrow's match, evaluating our progress game by game." He also acknowledged Barcelona's strong lineup and Real's continued growth with top-tier players, but stressed the importance of focusing on his own team's development.
In other news, Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski lauded his team's resilience in a 2-1 victory against Valencia in their LaLiga opener, particularly praising the young players who stepped in due to multiple injuries. Despite missing key players like Ilkay Gundogan, Pedri, Gavi, Ronald Araujo, and Frenkie De Jong, new manager Hansi Flick introduced 20-year-old academy midfielder Marc Casado to the senior team, alongside three 17-year-olds. Lewandowski highlighted the significance of starting the season with a win in a challenging environment.
"It was crucial to begin with a victory in such a tough stadium, especially given the issues we faced," Lewandowski told Movistar Plus. "We struggled initially, particularly in the first half, but improved significantly and managed to win with several young players. Winning in this manner, with such youthful talent, is exceptional and demonstrates their great potential. They showed no signs of inexperience, performing well both in possession and defensively. We could have won by a wider margin, but it's excellent to start the season with a win."
