Atletico Madrid firmly ruled out any possibility of selling star striker Julian Alvarez to La Liga rivals Barcelona on Thursday, effectively shutting down negotiations over the forward, according to AFP and Al Jazeera. The board of directors at Atletico Madrid met and unanimously expressed their full support for the club`s decision to reject any transfer discussions with the reigning Spanish champions. However, the club indicated they are not entirely closed off to other approaches in the market, with English Premier League side Arsenal recently linked to a potential move for the Argentina international.
In a strongly worded official statement, the Atletico board declared that there has not been and will never be any negotiation with Barcelona regarding the transfer of Alvarez. The club emphasized that they remain open to standard transfer market negotiations, provided they are conducted in a professional, ethical, and respectful manner. The statement explicitly accused Barcelona of failing to meet these ethical requirements, resulting in zero consideration for a deal. Atletico Madrid, often referred to as the Rojiblancos, had previously escalated the matter by reporting Barcelona to both FIFA and the Spanish football federation over their aggressive pursuit of the player.
The Madrid-based club stated they are convinced the forward will understand the board`s decision and focus on helping the team achieve its long-term objectives. However, the situation surrounding the player remains visibly tense following recent events. Alvarez missed the team`s training session for the second consecutive day on Wednesday due to a reported illness. This absence came shortly after he was actively jeered by his own club`s supporters during Atletico’s 2-2 La Liga draw against Villarreal on Sunday. Speculation about his future has persisted since July, when the twenty-six-year-old stated during the World Cup that a transfer would likely be best for everyone involved.
The definitive stance from Atletico arrived just a day after Barcelona President Joan Laporta publicly stated that his club remained hopeful of signing the 2022 World Cup winner before the current transfer window closed. Laporta revealed that Barcelona still had an active offer on the table worth roughly 100 million euros, which translates to 116 million dollars. Barcelona made Alvarez their prime offensive target as they seek to reinforce their attack following the high-profile departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.
Alvarez originally joined Atletico Madrid from Manchester City in 2024 in a lucrative transfer deal worth up to 95 million euros.
