Julian Alvarez experienced a tumultuous return to Atletico Madrid, facing intense jeers from fans as he seeks to depart the club this summer. The Argentinian forward has been linked to several clubs, notably Arsenal, the reigning Premier League champions, and Barcelona.

Despite the speculation, Atletico Madrid remains firm in their stance that Alvarez is not for sale, leading to rising tensions between the player and the club.

During Atletico's first home match of the season against Villarreal on Sunday, all eyes were on the team sheet to see if Alvarez would feature. Although he was named on the bench, the atmosphere quickly soured upon his arrival on the pitch.

• Alvarez was met with a chorus of boos as he warmed up.
• When substituted in during the 66th minute, home supporters unleashed deafening whistles.
• Frustrated by the reception, Alvarez opted to skip the customary appreciation to fans at full-time, heading straight down the tunnel as jeers followed him.

The match itself saw Villarreal equalize through a penalty from Gerard Moreno, cancelling out Marc Pubill’s opener. A second penalty from Georges Mikautadze put Villarreal ahead, but Giuliano Simeone salvaged a point for Atletico with a late goal, resulting in a 2-2 draw.