Atlético Madrid have dramatically escalated their ongoing transfer dispute with Barcelona over Julián Álvarez, insisting there is “0% chance” of the Argentina international being sold to the Catalan giants.
The Atlético hierarchy responded strongly after Barcelona president Joan Laporta once again confirmed that his club remains interested in signing Álvarez. Laporta said Barcelona would like Atlético to accept their proposal, keeping alive a transfer saga that has dominated the summer.
Atlético, however, have made their position unmistakably clear.
According to comments reported by MARCA, the Madrid club believes it is the real victim of the situation surrounding the Argentine striker. The club claims it has suffered both economically and socially as a result of the controversy.
“The player is being victimized, but the only victim of the Julián case is us.”
Atlético also accused Barcelona and other parties involved in the saga of creating a campaign based on “lies and half-truths”, arguing that the club has been left to deal with the consequences.
Most importantly, Atlético insisted that the issue is no longer simply about money.
The club reportedly stated that there is “0% chance” of Álvarez being sold to Barcelona, stressing that the matter is now about “dignity” rather than the size of the transfer fee.
The latest comments come after Laporta publicly reiterated on Wednesday that Barcelona remain very interested in Álvarez. The Barça president said the club would like Atlético to accept its offer, suggesting that Barcelona have not completely abandoned their pursuit.
The dispute has been developing for months. In July, Laporta confirmed that Barcelona had submitted a firm proposal for Álvarez and said the offer would only remain available for a limited period. He also argued that Barcelona had not forced the player into demanding a transfer.
Atlético have repeatedly rejected the idea of selling their star forward. President Enrique Cerezo recently accused Barcelona of not handling the situation appropriately and insisted that Álvarez remains an Atlético player.
The situation has become increasingly uncomfortable for Álvarez. Reports indicate that the Argentine has expressed a desire to move to Barcelona, while Atlético remain determined to retain him. The Guardian reported that the forward’s contract runs until 2030 and contains a €500 million release clause.
With Atlético now publicly declaring that a Barcelona transfer has a zero per cent chance, the pressure on all parties is enormous.
For Barcelona, the challenge is finding a way to convince Atlético to reconsider. For Atlético, the priority appears to be protecting the club’s authority and reputation. And for Álvarez, the coming days could determine whether he remains in Madrid or gets the move he reportedly wants.
For now, Atlético’s message is brutally simple: Julián Álvarez may leave Atlético one day, but a move to Barcelona appears completely off the table.
