Liverpool transfer links to Julian Alvarez force him to break silence on future

Julian Alvarez is keeping his cool regarding his future amid fresh speculation he could leave Atletico Madrid for Liverpool. The Argentine forward was heavily touted for a switch to Anfield this summer.

However, the La Liga giants' asking price is believed to have deterred Liverpool, with the Reds subsequently pursuing Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak from Eintracht Frankfurt and Newcastle United respectively. And while Alvarez stayed put in Madrid, question marks continue to hang over his long-term future.

Spanish giants Barcelona are the most recent club to be associated with the 25-year-old, though he has reassured supporters that a departure isn't on his radar at present, reports the Liverpool Echo.

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Speaking with ESPN, he said: "I'm very calm. There's always talk but the truth is that the season is just starting now.

"My focus is on improving every day, win for Atlético. That's the only thing on my mind... social media stories are beyond me."

Alvarez isn't the only party to have provided clarity on his situation either. His representative Fernando Hidalgo recently broke his silence by explaining that an official approach from Anfield never materialised.

He told Erem News: "There were no official offers from Liverpool to sign Julian last season, and everything that has been said in this regard is false.

"Last summer, there were no offers because Atletico de Madrid didn't want to sell the player, so negotiations didn't take place."

Meanwhile, Atletico boss Diego Simeone has seemingly quashed any rumours of an exit for Alvarez, expressing his desire to keep the Argentine forward at the Wanda Metropolitano.

He said: "Julian is the best player we have. We need to take care of him, to keep him here at Atleti for many years.

"He has to help us, and we have to help him, so he can become even better than he already is. Every time he makes a difference, he helps us a lot."

Alvarez made the switch to Atletico Madrid from Manchester City a year ago in a whopping £81.8 million deal, signing a six-year contract. He scored an impressive 29 goals across all competitions in his debut season in Spain.

The forward has kicked off the new season in stellar form with seven goals in eight appearances, and played a key role in Tuesday evening's 5-1 victory against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League. Alvarez will be looking to continue his scorching start to the season against Celta Vigo this weekend.

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