Argentine striker Julián Álvarez will remain at Atlético de Madrid after the summer transfer window closed on Monday without a deal being reached with Barcelona.
Despite keeping their star forward, Atlético completed a deadline-day move for Juventus striker Jonathan David on loan, while sanctioning outgoing loan deals for defender José María Giménez to Deportivo de La Coruña and midfielder Thomas Lemar to Elche.
The resolution comes after three matchdays of the La Liga season have already been played with squads still incomplete, a scenario that coaches frequently criticize as transfer activity continues weeks into official competition.
Standoff over Julián Álvarez transfer
Speculation surrounding Álvarez and a potential move to Barcelona had been building since the conclusion of last season. Although pressure mounted during the transfer window, negotiations failed to produce an agreement between the two Spanish clubs.
The outcome leaves Barcelona without the number nine target they sought, while Álvarez remains in Madrid with Atlético facing the task of reintegrating a demotivated player into the squad. If the forward does not secure regular playing time and return to scoring form before the winter transfer window opens in January, the situation at the Metropolitano stadium could become unsustainable and depress his market value.
Atlético manager Diego Simeone remains confident that he can turn the situation around and restore the striker to peak performance.
Contract clause and training return
Álvarez remained silent on his future until May, before stating during the World Cup that the best outcome for all parties would be a transfer. While Atlético did not close the door on a departure, club directors refused to negotiate with Barcelona due to severely strained relations between the two institutions.
The Argentine international is bound to Atlético by a contract running until June 2030, which includes a release clause set at 500 million euros. With the clause effectively blocking an unnegotiated exit, any deal required mutual agreement that never materialized.
After missing three days of training last week, Álvarez has returned to group sessions alongside his fellow Argentine teammates. Atlético de Madrid, founded in 1903 and playing home fixtures at the Civitas Metropolitano in the Spanish capital, now face three consecutive away matches across domestic and European competition.
The team will travel to San Mamés to face Athletic Club in La Liga, Anfield to play Liverpool in the Champions League, and Anoeta to encounter Real Sociedad. The away schedule offers a temporary reprieve before the player faces home supporters at the Metropolitano during Atlético's match against Osasuna on September 16.
Barcelona sign Gabriel Jesus from Arsenal
After the pathway to sign Álvarez closed, Barcelona turned to Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus to reinforce their attacking line. The Catalan club completed the transfer of the Brazilian striker for a fee of 10 million euros.
Asked about joining the club after not being Barcelona's initial preference, Jesus stated that it did not bother him. FC Barcelona, five-time European champions based in Catalonia who play home matches at the Camp Nou, secured the experienced forward despite his recent injury history.
Jesus spent nearly a year sidelined with a serious knee injury and struggled to regain a dominant role at English Premier League side Arsenal upon his recovery. Jesus noted that the past two years had been complicated following his knee surgery, but maintained that the injury was behind him, would not present further issues, and that he felt in strong physical condition.
The Brazilian forward has already arrived in Spain and attended Barcelona's victory over Rayo Vallecano at the Camp Nou from the stands.
Jonathan David joins Atlético on loan
To bolster their own frontline alongside Álvarez, Atlético secured Canadian international Jonathan David on loan from Italian Serie A club Juventus on deadline day. The Italian side confirmed that the agreement includes an option for Atlético to purchase the forward for 25 million euros.
David arrived in Madrid to undergo medical examinations before expressing his delight at joining a highly ambitious club focused on winning trophies. The Canadian forward featured prominently at the last World Cup, where he scored a hat-trick against Qatar.
During the previous season, David made 46 appearances for Juventus, scoring eight goals. Juventus, known historically as the Vecchia Signora and based in Turin, agreed to loan David after completing transfers for forwards Randal Kolo Muani and Loïs Openda, despite David having started matches for the Italian team earlier this season.
Simeone had begun the current campaign without a natural center-forward in his starting lineups. The arrival of David leaves the manager with three principal attacking options: David, Álvarez, and Alexander Sorloth.
Giménez and Lemar depart on loan
In addition to incoming transfers, Atlético finalized two late departures from their squad. Uruguayan defender José María Giménez was allowed to join Deportivo de La Coruña on loan after falling out of Simeone's primary plans.
Giménez, 31, has spent the past 13 seasons at Atlético, frequently serving as an established starter in central defense despite encountering recurring injury setbacks. Despite not featuring in Simeone's long-term plans, the defender appeared in two of Atlético's opening three La Liga matches this season.
In their final transaction of the transfer deadline, Atlético sanctioned a loan move for midfielder Thomas Lemar to join La Liga side Elche.
