Unilateral Contract Termination: Alvarez's Only Path to Barcelona

With three days until the close of the summer transfer window, Julian Alvarez remains under contract with Atlético Madrid, despite his stated desire to join FC Barcelona. The Colchoneros are holding firm: only Arsenal is permitted to negotiate a standard transfer fee. For Barcelona, the official route requires paying the Argentine striker’s release clause, set at €500 million.

However, a third option exists, according to Mundo Deportivo: unilateral contract termination by the player himself. Alvarez could rely on Royal Decree 1006/1985, enacted by the Spanish Ministry of Labour and Social Economy on 28 June 1985. Article 16 of this text stipulates that a professional athlete may terminate his contract on his own initiative, without cause attributable to the club. In return, the employer is entitled to compensation, the amount of which, absent agreement, is determined by the Spanish labour court.

The mechanism includes a decisive additional provision: if the player signs with a new club within one year of termination, that club becomes “secondarily liable” for payment of the compensation. In practical terms, FC Barcelona — not Alvarez himself — would be liable to Atlético Madrid.

Another advantage of this procedure concerns jurisdiction. With both clubs being Spanish, FIFA would not need to intervene: a Spanish court would set the compensation amount, potentially far below the €500 million release clause. For Barcelona, the operation would remain costly, but it would open a door that the Colchoneros have kept firmly shut until now.

Alvarez, contracted to Atlético until 2030, has not yet taken this step. Time is running out: the summer transfer window closes in three days.