Atlético Madrid Stands Firm on Julián: No Sale at Any Price
Atlético Madrid has gone on the offensive over Julián’s future, sending an unmistakable message to Barcelona and to the market: their striker is not for sale.
Speaking to EFE, a senior Atlético figure framed the club’s stance not as a negotiation, but as a matter of identity.
“Atlético, like all great clubs, is built with great players, and I’m certain that Julián is one, as well as a great professional. We must compete based on our values, with homegrown talent and with the best players from outside that we can bring in,” he said.
The message is simple: Julián is central to that project.
“My opinion is clear, the club’s will is clear, we have made this clear to the player and his agent, and to the Barça president. I have no doubt that Atlético is the right place in the world for Julián, and Julián is the perfect striker for Atlético Madrid. We want to keep him.”
Barcelona’s interest and president Joan Laporta’s public comments have clearly struck a nerve. But Atlético is not blinking.
“I simply heard some statements from the president (Laporta), saying that his offer wasn’t open-ended. And our response is that our answer is indeed open-ended; we don’t want to transfer him. We didn’t accept the €100 million offer, nor will we accept one of €150 million or €200 million.”
The figures tell their own story. Atlético is willing to turn down sums that would reshape many clubs’ balance sheets. The priority, they insist, is sporting continuity and the dressing room’s competitive core.
“We are going to help Julián and continue to take care of him so that he can give us his full potential, because we need him to keep competing among the best in Europe. We must understand that Julián hasn’t had the best advisors around him regarding his professional career in recent months,” he added.
That line about “advisors” hints at tension behind the scenes: pressure on the player, noise from outside, and a battle to keep him aligned with Atlético’s plans.
The club’s response is not just directed at Barcelona, but at what it sees as a broader campaign to unsettle its key assets and dictate its strategy from afar.
“That other clubs and their affiliated media tell us what to do, dictate our sporting strategy, and disrespect us. That’s precisely what they want: to divide us. It’s clear we’re not as powerful as them, but we have values. We Atlético fans won’t allow them to corrupt us. Atleti is strong when we’re all together.”
The market will keep circling. The offers may rise. But Atlético has planted its flag: Julián is not just another asset to cash in on, he is a symbol of how the club wants to compete — and of how fiercely it intends to defend its own.
