Atletico Madrid have issued a forceful rebuttal to Barcelona's renewed interest in Julian Alvarez, declaring there is "0% chance" the Argentine forward will move to the Catalan club, as a summer-long transfer saga shows no signs of cooling down.
The latest flashpoint came after Barcelona president Joan Laporta released a video on Wednesday reaffirming that his club's offer of 100 million euros (£85.7m) for Alvarez remained on the table. Atletico responded angrily, framing the pursuit as an attack on the club's integrity rather than a straightforward transfer negotiation.
"This is not about money, it's about dignity. The player is being victimised, but the only victim in the Julian case is us," Atletico said in a statement. "They have harmed us economically and socially. 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."
The dispute has escalated in the days since Alvarez was jeered by his own fans during Atletico's draw with Villarreal on Sunday. The 26-year-old was then absent from training on Wednesday, with reports indicating he was unwell rather than staging any form of protest.
Despite the public tension, sources at Barcelona have indicated they intend to continue pursuing Alvarez until the transfer window closes, while people close to the player maintain that his preference remains to stay in Spain. Arsenal have also been tracking the situation closely and are reported to view Alvarez as a top target, though he is not believed to be actively seeking a move to the Premier League.
The saga stretches back to May, when Barcelona first opened talks over signing Alvarez, who arrived at Atletico from Manchester City in 2024. Atletico's response at the time was to mock the approach on social media, describing themselves as the target of a "smear campaign" rather than engaging in serious negotiations.
The situation grew more complicated in June when local rivals Real Madrid entered the picture with a staggering 150 million euro (£130m) offer, a bid president Florentino Perez had promised supporters he would make for an unnamed "Galactico" signing if re-elected. Atletico rejected that approach too, with Real Madrid noting Alvarez's release clause stood at 500 million euros (£430m) and claiming, somewhat pointedly, that Atletico had "expressed its gratitude for the proposal." Atletico again used social media to deny any such gratitude, insisting their stance on Alvarez had not shifted.
Amid the club-versus-club sparring, Alvarez himself offered a rare public comment on his future following Argentina's win over Austria in June. "The best thing for everyone is a transfer," he said, adding, "I want to fulfil my dream." The remarks were widely interpreted as confirmation that, regardless of Atletico's public stance, the player was open to a departure, with Paris Saint-Germain also mentioned among his suitors at the time.
Barcelona's pursuit of Alvarez stems largely from their search for a long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who left the club this summer. Atletico, however, have shown no willingness to negotiate, with chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin previously stating the club would not part with Alvarez "even for 200m euros (£170.8m)."
With the transfer window still open and both sides digging in, the standoff between Atletico and Barcelona looks set to continue, leaving Alvarez's immediate future unresolved.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.