Diego Simeone declined to categorically rule out a departure for Julián Álvarez after Atlético Madrid’s disappointing end to the 2025–26 season, instead placing the onus on the player. Álvarez arrived from Manchester City in 2024 for approximately $110.6 million (€95 million) as Atlético sought a new offensive focal point following Antoine Griezmann’s decline in influence.

A treble winner with Manchester City who left in search of a leading role away from Erling Haaland’s shadow, Álvarez has been an effective signing in Madrid. Across two seasons with the club he has been a clear attacking asset, yet collective targets have been missed. Atlético were beaten 5–1 by Villarreal on the final day, lost the Copa del Rey final to Real Sociedad on penalties and exited the Champions League in the semifinals. They will return to the Champions League after a comfortable fourth-place finish in La Liga, but Álvarez’s presence for 2026–27 is uncertain.

When asked after the Villarreal defeat, Simeone gave an answer that suggested the player’s intentions matter most. “That’s not a question for me, it’s a question for Julián,” Simeone told reporters, as quoted by SPORT .

“He’s old enough to know what he’s going to do, and I imagine he’s probably already made up his mind,” he concluded.

Spanish media are beginning to believe Álvarez may not wear Atlético’s red and white at the start of 2026–27. If he leaves, his record at the club would stand at 49 goals in 106 appearances, including 10 in this season’s Champions League. The forward has attracted interest from both the Spanish and English champions, and Barcelona are heavily linked as they look for a replacement for Robert Lewandowski. Any transfer is expected to be costly, with prices likely to exceed $115 million.

For Atlético, the question now is whether they can retain a player who has delivered individually while the team has fallen short of key objectives. Simeone’s response positions Álvarez as the main actor in whatever comes next.

Arsenal’s title celebrations at the end of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign were muted by a late injury concern for Noni Madueke. The champions travelled south for a 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace during a Public Holiday weekend in the United Kingdom, a result that allowed rotation ahead of next week’s Champions League final in Budapest against Paris Saint-Germain.

Mikel Arteta used the match to rest key starters. Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were unused substitutes and William Saliba did not make the matchday squad. Saka is set for a 90-minute outing in the final, while Madueke, who joined from Chelsea last summer, has been earmarked as a bench option to provide pace and direct running.

Madueke scored his second Premier League goal of the season on Sunday, but was forced off late at Selhurst Park with an apparent niggle. The winger grasped the back of his left leg when speaking to the physio on-field and looked in some discomfort. Arteta offered no post-match update, although The Standard reported that the winger was moving freely during their title celebrations and that there were no signs of a limp.

Arsenal’s wider fitness picture was also outlined. Mikel Merino is recovering from foot surgery and, according to the club’s list, only a pair of right backs remain absent. Ben White’s knee injury at West Ham United earlier this month has ended his World Cup hopes. Jurriën Timber has been out since March with a groin issue. Arteta had been hopeful Timber could play some part in the final, but his omission from the matchday squad on Sunday suggests he will not be ready to face one of the tournament’s in-form players.

If Timber is unavailable, Cristhian Mosquera is expected to line up against Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Madueke’s late exit at Selhurst Park has placed his availability for the Champions League final in doubt, leaving Arsenal to assess whether the winger can still offer a bench impact in Budapest.

Aston Villa’s 3–0 Europa League final win over Freiburg in Istanbul on Wednesday night has ripple effects beyond the club and its supporters. It wasn’t just Aston Villa supporters who celebrated, with fans of several other Premier League sides cheering on “Unai Emery’s men”.

As the Premier League season reaches its final round on Sunday, Villa’s triumph creates a scenario in which the team finishing sixth could qualify for next season’s Champions League. Under the current arrangement, England’s top five will enter Europe’s premier competition next season, but Villa’s Europa League success alters how the available berths would be allocated.

Four of those five places are already confirmed. Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Villa have all booked their spot. They will be joined by either Liverpool or Bournemouth, almost certainly the former. England’s UEFA coefficient has earned the country an extra Champions League slot for 2026–27, and that additional place is currently being taken up by Liverpool in fifth.

The Europa League winner is also guaranteed a Champions League berth. That means if Villa finish fifth in the Premier League, the extra place tied to their continental victory would cascade down and be taken up by the team that finishes sixth, because Villa have already secured an extra performance slot through winning the Europa League.

For Villa to end the campaign fifth they must lose their final match away at Man City, while Liverpool would need to beat Brentford at Anfield. The Reds’ superior goal difference would see them leapfrog Villa into fourth in that scenario. If that sequence happens, the team who finishes sixth, currently Bournemouth, would qualify for the Champions League.

Bournemouth know a draw away at Nottingham Forest would be enough to clinch sixth. There is also a very slight chance of them finishing fifth with victory at the City Ground.