Laporta accuses Atletico of blocking Alvarez move to every club except Barcelona

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has publicly accused Atletico Madrid of acting ‘inappropriately’ during the summer pursuit of Julian Alvarez, reigniting a dispute that outlasted the transfer window. The Argentine forward, 25, had requested to leave Atletico, with both Barcelona and Arsenal among the clubs that attempted to sign him before all negotiations collapsed.

Laporta claimed Atletico’s conduct was indefensible, alleging the Madrid club were willing to sell Alvarez to any interested party except Barcelona. “They acted offended; they had no way to justify their attitude,” the Barcelona chief said. “We did what’s usually done: there was club-to-club communication, and then I spoke personally with Gil Marín. He told me he wasn’t coming because they had no alternative.”

Laporta went further, suggesting Atletico’s position shifted from a private stance to an open one as the window progressed. “Then they reacted inappropriately. I don’t know why, I can imagine, but I have no proof. We were hearing that they would sell him to every club except Barça. Then they dropped the pretense and said it openly.”

Despite the acrimony, Laporta struck a settled tone about Barcelona’s current position. “That is now in the past and we are very happy with the squad we have and the coach is very happy with the extraordinary work of Deco,” he added.

Alvarez has struggled to reintegrate at Atletico since the window closed. He has made just one La Liga appearance and has missed the club’s last two matches through injury, a difficult start that former Atletico defender Diego Godin believes stems in part from how the situation was handled.

“Julian Alvarez is a fantastic player,” Godin said. “He must be a great guy, but I think he made a mistake. The fans’ anger is completely understandable. We all get that someone might want to leave, but it’s about how you leave, the way you go about it.”

Godin drew a comparison with Antoine Griezmann, who faced similar hostility from Atletico supporters after his own protracted departure saga before eventually rebuilding his standing at the club. “I don’t know if Julian Alvarez will be able to repair the relationship. It cost Antoine an enormous amount of effort, and with Julian, we’ll see. Time will tell, but what’s certain is that people will expect him, at the very least, to give everything on the pitch whenever he gets his chance.”