Flick refuses to discuss Barcelona’s interest in Alvarez

Madrid, Aug 26 (IANS) FC Barcelona coach Hansi Flick refused to discuss whether his club remains interested in signing Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez when he spoke to the press Wednesday ahead of his side’s La Liga home game against Athletic Club.

Alvarez was booed by sections of the Atletico support during Sunday’s match against Villarreal amid uncertainty over his future. Atletico has insisted it will not sell the Argentina international to Barcelona, which is still looking to strengthen its attack.

“I don’t want to talk about Julian, I want to talk about this club’s situation,” Flick said when asked about the striker.

“We’ve made some very good signings, I have confidence in the team, and we’ll have to manage things, find solutions for some matches. But our quality is enormous,” he added.

Flick was also asked about left back Alejandro Balde, who was left out at the weekend after the coach said he was not fully focused on playing, reports Xinhua.

“He’s part of the team, but whether he plays or not, we’ll decide tomorrow,” Flick said. “It’s important that he’s committed to us. He’s very young; he has a lot of potential, he’s improved, but he can improve more. He has Barca’s colours in his heart.”

Flick also discussed Lamine Yamal, who was below his best in Sunday’s game against Elche and appeared unhappy after being substituted in the second half. “He had a minor issue, a headache; it’s understandable,” Flick said.

The coach pointed out that the 19-year-old had not had a normal preseason following the World Cup. “He’s had three weeks off and has only trained a few days. It’s normal that he’s not at his peak. We need to find a solution so he can get back to his best.”

“We’ll see how he progresses, but we need him because he’s exceptional,” Flick concluded.

–IANS

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