Atletico Madrid have officially ruled out any negotiation with Barcelona over Julian Alvarez, putting an end, at least publicly, to speculation over a move to Catalonia with just days remaining in the transfer window.
The club released a statement confirming the decision was backed unanimously by its board. “The members of Atletico Madrid’s Board of Directors have unanimously shown their absolute support for the club’s decision not to negotiate the transfer of Julian Alvarez to Futbol Club Barcelona,” the official statement read.
The club added it remains open to negotiations “in an ethical and professional manner and with respect between clubs,” but that Barcelona have failed to meet those standards, meaning no negotiation “has existed nor will exist” regarding the forward.
The statement lands amid rising tension between the two clubs, with Barcelona president Joan Laporta and coach Hansi Flick both publicly reaffirming their interest in Alvarez in recent days. With the transfer window closing in less than a week, Atletico’s firm stance leaves Alvarez with a narrowing set of options before deadline day.
In addition to the official statement, Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin confirmed the club’s stance directly, telling Movistar that Atletico are open to selling Alvarez, just not to Barcelona. “My dream is for Julian to stay at Atleti if he wants to,” Gil Marin said. “We’ll look for an alternative if he wants to leave the club, but never Barcelona”.
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Atletico Madrid’s message to Alvarez
The statement also addressed Alvarez directly, expressing confidence that the Argentine will accept the club’s stance, noting that Atletico Madrid trust their player to understand the decision and focus on helping the club achieve its objectives, just as he has done across his two seasons defending the club’s colors.
With Barcelona’s €100 million bid now off the table, Arsenal’s €130 million offer stands as the only route out of the club this summer if Alvarez still wishes to leave.
