Álvarez parts ways with agent Hidalgo after Barcelona's €100m bid fell far short of Atlético's €500m demand

Julián Álvarez has split from his long-time representative Fernando Hidalgo, ending a professional relationship that stretched back to his formative years at River Plate and continued through his time at Manchester City and Atlético Madrid, TyC Sports report. The separation follows Barcelona’s unsuccessful attempt to sign the Argentine forward during the summer window, which collapsed after Atlético refused to open negotiations.

Barcelona’s pursuit ended at a €400m impasse

The gap between the clubs was stark. Barcelona submitted an offer of €100 million for Álvarez, while Atlético held firm on the player’s €500 million release clause and declined to enter any discussions. The failed move left Álvarez in Madrid and generated significant friction, both between the two clubs and within Atlético itself.

The tension was compounded when Álvarez publicly indicated a desire to leave following Argentina’s victory over Austria at the 2026 World Cup. Atlético chief executive Miguel Ángel Gil Marín subsequently gave an interview to Movistar in August in which he placed responsibility on those around the player, arguing that Álvarez’s entourage had misled and confused him rather than the forward himself driving the push for an exit.

What the agency split does and does not mean

TyC Sports framed the parting with Hidalgo as a development that could ease internal tension and signal a renewed commitment to Atlético. That reading should be treated with caution: the reported change confirms only that Álvarez and Hidalgo have ended their arrangement. It does not establish what prompted the decision, who will represent the forward next, or whether his relationship with the club has been formally repaired.

No new transfer negotiations are reported to be underway, and Álvarez’s position in Diego Simeone’s squad is unchanged. The wider fallout from Barcelona’s approach — and the public dispute it triggered between the two clubs — remains unresolved regardless of the shift in representation.

Álvarez searching for form at Atlético

On the pitch, Álvarez faces a more immediate challenge. He has made four appearances under Simeone this season without registering a goal or an assist across 85 La Liga minutes. Securing regular game time and returning to the form that made him one of the most coveted forwards in Europe will be the forward’s primary focus for now.