Atletico Madrid vow to block Alvarez move to Barcelona as Arsenal circle with deadline looming

Atletico Madrid’s board of directors has issued a unanimous statement ruling out any sale of Julián Alvarez to Barcelona, intensifying one of the summer’s most acrimonious transfer sagas with just one week remaining before the window closes.

The 26-year-old Argentina international was booed by Atletico supporters during a substitute appearance in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Villarreal after making clear his desire to join Barcelona. He also missed a midweek fixture through reported illness, further straining his relationship with the club’s fanbase.

In their latest statement, Atletico’s board said they had “unanimously expressed absolute support” for the decision not to negotiate with Barcelona, accusing the Catalan club of failing to conduct transfer discussions “in a professional, ethical and respectful manner.” The statement added that the board trusts Alvarez “will understand the decision and will remain focused on helping the club achieve its goals.”

It is the second time this week Atletico have gone public with their frustration. On Wednesday, the club told Spanish outlet Marca there was a “zero per cent chance” of selling Alvarez to Barcelona and accused the player’s representatives and the Catalan club of orchestrating a “campaign of lies and half-truths.” Atletico insisted they were “the only victims” in the saga, claiming it had harmed them “economically and socially.”

Barcelona president Joan Laporta had publicly urged Atletico to accept his club’s interest, but the only formal offer tabled so far stands at €100m (£86m) — a figure Atletico have rejected. The club have stressed that Alvarez, who is contracted until 2030, is not for sale at any price to their La Liga rivals, framing the dispute as a matter of “dignity” rather than money.

Arsenal are monitoring the situation closely and continue to work on a potential deal for the striker, though their understanding is that Alvarez himself has prioritised a move to Barcelona. With the deadline approaching, whether Arsenal can emerge as a credible alternative — and whether Atletico would countenance selling to a club outside Spain — remains to be seen.

Atletico want Alvarez available and focused for their La Liga trip to Sevilla on Saturday.