Atlético Madrid Declares 0% Chance of Selling Alvarez to Barcelona
Atlético Madrid have moved from irritation to outright defiance in the Julian Alvarez saga, publicly declaring there is “0% chance” they will sell the forward to Barcelona after Joan Laporta again pushed his club’s interest.
The message from the Metropolitano is blunt: this is no longer just a transfer story. It’s a matter of pride.
Laporta’s bid lingers – and Atlético erupt
Laporta resurfaced the chase on Wednesday with a new video, insisting Barcelona’s €100m (£85.7m) offer for Alvarez remains on the table and stressing the Catalans’ “respect” for Atlético.
That was the trigger.
“This is not about money, it's about dignity. The player is being victimised, but the only victim in the Julian case is us,” Atlético said in a furious response.
“They have harmed us economically and socially. There is 0% chance of selling him to Barca. There is a campaign of many lies and half-truths. The only one paying for this is Atlético.”
Behind the scenes, Barcelona sources maintain they will keep pushing until the window shuts. Officially, the offer stands. Unofficially, the temperature between the clubs is boiling.
Booed, absent, and under siege
All this played out against a sour backdrop on Sunday.
Alvarez, 26, started on the bench in Atlético’s draw with Villarreal. The home crowd made their feelings clear. He was jeered while warming up and the boos grew louder when he entered the pitch in the 66th minute.
At full-time, the World Cup winner headed straight down the tunnel instead of joining his teammates to applaud the fans. That decision only inflamed the mood in the stands.
Diego Simeone later suggested it had been a pre-agreed club decision for Alvarez to go straight to the dressing room, but the optics were awful: a star forward, under suspicion, walking away from a crowd that had just turned on him.
On Wednesday, Alvarez missed training. Reports in Spain said he was unwell, adding another layer of uncertainty to a week already thick with tension.
Arsenal watching, Alvarez leaning Spain
Barcelona are not alone in the chase. Arsenal have tracked Alvarez throughout the summer and regard him as a dream signing for their attack.
Right now, though, the London club are more spectators than protagonists. With the deadline looming next week, Arsenal are said to be increasingly realistic about how difficult it will be to pull off the deal in time.
Sources close to the situation maintain Alvarez still wants to stay in Spain. That keeps Barcelona in the frame and leaves Arsenal waiting for the chaos to create an opening that may never come.
Hansi Flick, preparing Barcelona for their game against Athletic Club on Thursday, refused to be drawn into the drama. “I only want to speak about the situation of the club,” he said, sidestepping Alvarez’s name entirely while Laporta’s video did the talking for him.
A saga months in the making
This stand-off did not appear overnight. It has been brewing since spring.
Barcelona’s first serious move came in May, when reports emerged that talks had opened over a deal for Alvarez, who only joined Atlético from Manchester City in 2024.
Atlético’s response was immediate and mocking. The club used social media to ridicule Barça’s pursuit in front of millions of followers, painting themselves as victims of a “smear campaign” and making it clear they would not sell to the Camp Nou.
The story only grew.
Alvarez went to the World Cup with Argentina with his future already a live topic. Then, in June, Real Madrid stepped into the ring.
Florentino Perez had promised supporters a €150m bid for an unnamed “Galactico” if re-elected. True to his word, Real Madrid submitted a €150m (£130m) offer for Alvarez, pointing to his €500m (£430m) release clause when the bid was rejected and stating that Atlético had “expressed its gratitude for the proposal.”
Atlético hit back again online, denying any gratitude and repeating their stance that Alvarez would not be sold to Barcelona.
Player’s dream vs club’s wall
The clearest crack in the façade came after Argentina’s win over Austria in June.
Alvarez admitted he had spoken with Atlético and said “the best thing for everyone is a transfer”, adding: “I want to fulfil my dream.”
Those words confirmed what the market already suspected: while Atlético publicly insist he is not for sale, the player himself is open to leaving. Barcelona and Paris St-Germain quickly emerged among the clubs strongly linked.
Still, Atlético refused to budge. Chief executive Miguel Ángel Gil Marín went as far as declaring the club would not sell Alvarez “even for 200m euros (£170.8m).”
Barcelona, searching for a long-term successor to Robert Lewandowski after his departure this summer, have kept pushing against that wall.
Atlético’s latest statement shows the wall is still very much up. The question now is whether money, pressure, or the player’s own ambition can knock it down before the window slams shut.
