Leaked document claim suggests Atlético secretly cleared Álvarez to talk to Barcelona

Atlético Madrid privately gave Julián Álvarez written permission to discuss a transfer to Barcelona, according to a claim made on El Chiringuito TV. Journalist Jordi Jota says he personally saw the document — an assertion that directly contradicts Atlético’s public stance throughout the summer that the Argentine would not be sold to a direct La Liga rival.

It is important to be precise about what is actually being alleged. The claim is that Atlético authorised Álvarez to negotiate or discuss a Barcelona move, not that the club had agreed to sell him or granted unconditional consent for him to join. That distinction matters considerably given how far apart the two positions otherwise appear.

Why the document matters

Álvarez has been central to Atlético’s attack since arriving from Manchester City in 2024, recording 49 goals and 17 assists across 107 appearances in all competitions. He remains under contract at the Metropolitano until 2030, yet his desire for a new challenge dominated this summer’s transfer window, with Barcelona repeatedly cited as his preferred destination.

That context also gives added weight to an earlier RFEF disciplinary question over an alleged unauthorised Barcelona approach. If Atlético did put written permission on record, it complicates any narrative that contact between Álvarez and Barça was improper from the outset.

The fee gap and Barcelona’s offer

MARCA reported that Barcelona’s offer for Álvarez was in the region of €100 million, a figure that fell short of Atlético’s valuation. That figure has not been independently confirmed beyond that outlet’s reporting. Given the scale of the numbers involved, it is straightforward to see why Atlético’s board would prefer any concession toward Barcelona to be handled quietly rather than made public.

Arsenal’s late interest

Arsenal had been pushing to sign Álvarez before the transfer window closed, having already missed out on Vinicius Júnior earlier in the summer. The Argentine reportedly told manager Mikel Arteta he did not want to join the Gunners, and with only hours remaining before the deadline, that move appeared increasingly unlikely to materialise.

Álvarez had also returned to Atlético training after missing several sessions through illness — a detail that underlines he remained, at least physically, part of Diego Simeone’s squad throughout the saga.

What comes next

Jota indicated he intended to produce or prove the document’s existence on 2 September, which is the clearest point to watch. Even if he does so, a written permission to negotiate is not the same as a finalised transfer agreement, and the precise wording of any document would determine whether it meaningfully contradicts Atlético’s public position.

Until that evidence is presented, this remains an attributed claim from a single broadcaster and journalist rather than confirmed fact.