There is absolutely “0% chance” Julian Alvarez is heading to Barcelona. That’s the word straight from Atletico Madrid, who are not holding back after Barcelona president Joan Laporta stubbornly announced his club is *still* interested in signing the star forward.
The War of Words Just Exploded
This isn’t some quiet negotiation anymore, folks. Atletico is livid. They absolutely condemned Laporta’s video where he trotted out that same old €100m offer. Can you believe the audacity? Atletico is saying this isn’t about the money, it’s about “dignity.” They claim Alvarez is “being victimised,” but the *real* victim in this whole mess? That’s Atletico, according to them. “They have harmed us economically and socially,” Atletico fired back. “There is 0% chance of selling him to Barca. There is a campaign of many lies and half-truths. The only one paying for this is Atletico.” Talk about throwing down the gauntlet! Laporta, in his video, tried to say Barcelona has “great respect” for Atletico, but then he just… reiterated the bid. Barcelona sources are already leaking that they’ll keep pushing for Alvarez right up until the transfer window slams shut. This is pure drama, isn’t it?
Alvarez Caught in the Crossfire
And what about Julian Alvarez himself? The guy who reached the World Cup final with Argentina just this summer, the same guy who bagged 20 goals and nine assists for Atletico last season, is in absolute turmoil. He got booed by his *own* Atletico supporters during their draw with Villarreal on Sunday. Boos while warming up, even louder boos when he came on in the 66th minute. And get this: he headed straight down the tunnel at full-time instead of acknowledging the fans, which only brought on more jeers. Atletico boss Diego Simeone tried to play it off, saying it was a “pre-agreed club decision” for Alvarez to go straight to the dressing room. Convenient, right? Then Alvarez missed training on Wednesday, with reports saying he was unwell. Coincidence? Maybe. Meanwhile, Barcelona’s head coach Hansi Flick dodged questions about Alvarez, only saying he wanted to “speak about the situation of the club.” Everyone’s playing their cards so close to the chest! And let’s not forget Arsenal. They are still showing interest, dreaming of signing him, but sources close to Alvarez say he still wants to stay in Spain. This poor guy is stuck in the middle of a full-blown war!
With deadline day for transfers approaching on September 1st, this war of words isn’t slowing down. Alvarez’s future is still the biggest talking point of this transfer window. Barcelona made their first offer way back in May, sparking social media mockery from Atletico who called it a “smear campaign.” And remember when Real Madrid jumped in with a massive €150m offer in June, only for Atletico to reject that too, pointing to Alvarez’s eye-watering €500m release clause? This saga has been wild from day one. Get ready, because the final week before the deadline is going to be absolutely insane!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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