Atletico Madrid hit back as Barcelona refuse to abandon Julian Alvarez chase

17 Jul 2026 10:59 BST | 4 min read

Julian Alvarez, Joan Laporta, Barcelona — © IMAGO

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Julian Alvarez to Barcelona is a transfer rumour that refuses to go away, with Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo forced to speak out on the issue once again.

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Atleti have been consistently firm in their denials that Alvarez will depart this summer, despite strong interest previously from Arsenal as well as bids from Barcelona and Real Madrid worth €100 million and €150m respectively.

Barca president Joan Laporta has been outspoken on the subject of the Argentina international, previously stating that the Blaugrana bid remains on the table but that it will not remain there indefinitely.

Current ETV

Julián Álvarez

F (C)

Atlético Madrid

Julián Álvarez

F (C)

Atlético Madrid

ETV Range

€93.4M - €114.1M

Previously, he claimed that Alvarez wants to leave Atletico Madrid and fulfil his dreams elsewhere.

“Joan Laporta is a good friend, he is a great president and he knows very well, as you know from what you've seen, where Julian Alvarez is going to play next year,” Cerezo said in comments reported by AS.

“I think we all make mistakes in this life, right? He had a slip-up. In this life, except for a few things you all know about, everything is forgivable.”

Cerezo then seemed to confirm that the only way Barcelona will be able to sign Julian this summer is by triggering his €500m release clause.

Asked about this possibility, he said: “I'll say it again. Julian Alvarez is an Atlético de Madrid player and will remain an Atlético de Madrid player.”

© IMAGO - Julian Alvarez, Atletico Madrid

Julian Alvarez: Barcelona’s transfer stance

Barcelona president Laporta has made his side’s public stance on the race to sign Alvarez clear.

“We have made a very significant offer; if they are willing to accept it, fantastic, but it won’t be unlimited. We have to make a decision. Whether we maintain the offer or not depends on how these last two weeks of July unfold,” he told SER.

“The player has spoken out, and that’s why the issue is still open. It’s clear that the player wants a change of scenery, and we are prepared to welcome him. We’ll see how it all unfolds.

“Deco is doing a great job. He’s brought in Karim Adeyemi, whom we’ll sign next week. He’s working very efficiently and discreetly, as it should be done. Obviously, if the Julian deal falls through, we have alternatives.”

Behind the scenes, Barcelona are not giving up on signing Alvarez and are ready to renew their push after the World Cup, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed.

He explained: “Barcelona have not given up. The club deliberately chose to respect the player during the World Cup and avoided creating unnecessary distractions. Now that the tournament is over, Barcelona will resume their efforts to understand whether there is still a way to complete the deal. This is certainly a story that will be very important to follow.”

Atletico Madrid continue to make it clear, though, that Alvarez will not leave easily.