Julian Alvarez Faces Transfer Dilemma: Atletico Madrid Refuses Barcelona
Julian Alvarez has stopped turning up to Atletico Madrid training after being told bluntly the club will not sell him to Barcelona – leaving Arsenal as his only realistic escape route.
Sources have told BBC Sport that Atletico informed Alvarez and his representatives earlier this week that they will not even enter talks with the Catalan side over a deal for the Argentina forward. The message was clear and delivered privately. The answer was no.
Since then, the 26-year-old has missed two straight training sessions, with illness given as the official reason.
Atletico have not limited themselves to quiet conversations. The club have gone public twice in 24 hours, issuing statements that underline their refusal to grant Alvarez his wish to join Barca before the window closes. The line has not moved an inch.
There is, however, one door left ajar – and it leads to north London. Atletico are prepared to sell Alvarez to Arsenal and have already held direct talks with the Premier League champions over what would rank as one of the standout transfers of the summer.
Atleti director Mateu Alemany travelled to London last week and met Arsenal officials. During those discussions, he made Atletico’s position crystal clear: any deal would require a fee of 150m euros (£128m).
Mikel Arteta is pushing hard to bring Alvarez to the Emirates this month. Arsenal want him. Badly. But the player’s firm preference for Barcelona has stalled the move and left the Gunners waiting for a decisive change of heart.
Even so, conversations between Atletico and Arsenal over a club-to-club agreement are described as positive. The framework is there. The numbers are on the table.
If Alvarez gives Arsenal the green light in the coming days, the expectation is that negotiations would accelerate quickly and a transfer could be wrapped up without prolonged wrangling.
Barcelona, though, are refusing to step away publicly. On Wednesday, club president Joan Laporta insisted they still want to sign Alvarez. Atletico hit back within hours with a stark statement: “There is 0% chance of selling him to Barca.”
The board then went one step further on Thursday, issuing a second message: “The members of Atletico de Madrid's board of directors have unanimously expressed their absolute support for the club's decision to not negotiate the transfer of Julian Alvarez to FC Barcelona.”
The battle lines are drawn. Barca shut out, Arsenal invited in, and Alvarez caught in the middle. Now the striker has to decide which dream he is willing to give up.
