Atletico Madrid Firm on Julian Alvarez: No Sale to Barcelona
Atletico Madrid have drawn a hard line in the sand over Julian Alvarez – and they are not budging.
With Barcelona president Joan Laporta publicly insisting the Catalan club’s €100m (£85.7m) offer is still on the table, Atletico have fired back with their strongest language yet, declaring there is “0% chance” they will sell the Argentine forward to their La Liga rivals.
This is not about money, it's about dignity. The player is being victimised, but the only victim in the Julian case is us.
The club said in a sharply worded statement, accusing Barcelona of damaging them “economically and socially” and insisting: “There is 0% chance of selling him to Barca.”
Booed, absent, and at the centre of a storm
Alvarez has been caught in the eye of this transfer storm all summer. On Sunday, during Atletico’s draw with Villarreal, sections of the home support turned on him. He started on the bench, was jeered as he warmed up, and the boos grew louder when he came on in the 66th minute.
At full-time he headed straight down the tunnel instead of joining his teammates in applauding the fans. That decision only fuelled the anger in the stands.
Diego Simeone later suggested it was a pre-agreed club decision for Alvarez to go directly to the dressing room, but the damage was done. The uneasy relationship between player and crowd was laid bare.
On Wednesday, Alvarez missed training. Reports in Spain said he was unwell. The same day, Laporta released a new video reiterating Barcelona’s interest and stressing that their nine-figure bid remained in place. Atletico’s furious response followed shortly after.
They have harmed us economically and socially. There is a campaign of many lies and half-truths. The only one paying for this is Atletico.
Barcelona push on, Arsenal wait, player leans Spain
Laporta has repeatedly claimed Barcelona “respect” Atletico, but the Catalans have not walked away. Club sources say they will keep pushing for Alvarez until the window closes, seeing him as the ideal long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who left this summer.
Arsenal, watching from London, have not disappeared either. The Gunners view Alvarez as a dream signing for their forward line and have maintained interest while others do the public fighting.
For now, though, Arsenal are observers rather than protagonists. With the deadline looming next week, they are becoming more realistic about their chances of prising him away, especially with sources close to the situation indicating Alvarez still wants to stay in Spain.
Hansi Flick, preparing Barcelona for their match against Athletic Club on Thursday, refused to be drawn directly into the saga. “I only want to speak about the situation of the club,” he said, sidestepping Alvarez’s name but not the context.
A transfer saga months in the making
This is not a story that sprang up overnight. Barcelona’s first formal move came back in May, when reports emerged of talks to sign Alvarez, who only joined Atletico from Manchester City in 2024.
Atletico’s reaction was immediate and public. They were adamant he would not be sold to Barcelona and used their social media channels to mock the pursuit, telling millions of followers they were victims of a “smear campaign”.
The message was clear: not to Barca. Not at any price.
The noise followed Alvarez into the summer. He went to the World Cup with Argentina with his club future already one of the most discussed topics in Europe.
Then came a new twist. In June, Real Madrid entered the race.
Real Madrid’s Galactico bid – and another refusal
True to president Florentino Perez’s campaign promise to bid €150m for an unnamed “Galactico” if re-elected, Real Madrid put a €150m (£130m) offer on the table for Alvarez.
The bid fell well short of the €500m (£430m) release clause written into his Atletico contract, and it was rejected. Real Madrid, in their own communication, referenced that clause and claimed Atletico had “expressed its gratitude for the proposal”.
Atleti responded again with their now-familiar blend of humour and defiance on social media, denying any gratitude and repeating their stance: Alvarez would not be sold to Barcelona.
The Madrid giants had tested Atletico’s resolve. The answer stayed the same.
The player speaks, the tension rises
Amid all of this, Alvarez himself added fuel to the fire. After Argentina’s win over Austria in June, he admitted he had spoken to Atletico about his future.
He said “the best thing for everyone is a transfer” and talked about wanting to “fulfil my dream”. Those remarks confirmed what had been widely suspected: while Atletico insisted publicly he was not for sale, the player was open to leaving.
Barcelona and Paris St-Germain were among the clubs heavily linked at that stage, sensing an opportunity around a World Cup winner who appeared ready for a new chapter.
Atletico, though, did not soften. Chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin went as far as saying the club would not sell Alvarez “even for 200m euros (£170.8m)”, doubling down on the idea that this was about more than a balance sheet.
Deadline closing in, no one backing down
Now the calendar adds its own pressure. With deadline day set for 1 September, the war of words between Madrid and Barcelona’s red-and-white half has only intensified, and Alvarez’s future remains one of the defining questions of this transfer window.
Barcelona insist their offer stands. Atletico insist there is “0% chance” of doing business with them. Real Madrid have already been turned away. Arsenal wait in the shadows, realistic but hopeful. The player, for his part, has spoken of dreams and transfers, yet sources say he still prefers to remain in Spain.
Something has to give. Or does it?
