Alvarez joined Atletico last week after paying Manchester City a deal reported by British media to be worth around 75 million euros ($82.7 million). Simeone said he could be available for Monday’s La Liga opener at Villarreal.
“Julian (Alvarez) is a player we are all looking forward to seeing and who will help us to be better. It has all happened very suddenly, very quickly. He arrived a short time ago, he has been training for four days but he has adapted quickly,” said Simeone in a press conference on Sunday.
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“But I’m very excited about it, knowing where he comes from and understanding where he’s going. His characteristics fit with Atleti’s DNA.”
After spending more than €150m on Alvarez, Spain’s Euro 2024-winning defender Robin Le Normand and last season’s La Liga top scorer Alexander Sorloth, Simeone played down title expectations.
As negotiations to sign Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher continue, Simeone said they still need to add more players to be competitive against a Real Madrid side that won the Champions League and La Liga double last season before recruiting French captain Kylian Mbappe.
“Real Madrid are starting the season as the best team and they will have to prove it with the wonderful players they have, while the rest of us will be behind to compete against them,” said Simeone.
“We haven’t finalised the squad yet, and even though we haven’t finalised it yet, we have to focus on tomorrow’s game and see how the team evolves, game by game.
“Barcelona still has a very good team, Real Madrid continues to grow with phenomenal players, but I am clear that we have to think about ourselves.”
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