Atlético Madrid shuts door on Barcelona, blocks Julián Álvarez transfer

Atlético Madrid ended the Julián Álvarez saga Thursday with an unequivocal statement: the Argentine striker will not join FC Barcelona this summer, with the Madrid club refusing to enter negotiations with the Catalans.

In the statement, the Colchoneros’ board of directors indicated it had “unanimously” backed the club’s decision. The reason given was direct: “FC Barcelona did not meet the requirements” for “ethical and professional” negotiations between clubs. Consequently, “no negotiations have taken place and will not take place with them regarding Julián Álvarez’s transfer”.

The statement clarified that Atlético remains “open to standard transfer market negotiations”, but only “with mutual respect between clubs” — a barely veiled dig at Barça, whose approach to the matter is thus publicly called into question.

The Madrid club concluded by calling on its player to accept this decision and to “focus on his work to help the club achieve its objectives, as he has already done over the past two seasons”. Arriving at Atlético in summer 2024 from Manchester City, Álvarez had expressed his desire to join Barcelona since the start of the 2026 World Cup qualification campaign.

This public and collective stance by the board of directors is rare in European football and underscores the depth of the rift between the two clubs. For Barcelona, which was looking to strengthen its attack, the matter is now officially closed.