Atletico Madrid launched an extraordinary social media attack on Barcelona as tensions over the future of Julian Alvarez spilled into the public domain.
The Madrid club used a series of sarcastic posts to mock reports linking the Argentina forward with a move to the Catalan giants, while also accusing their rivals of conducting a “smear campaign” against one of their players.
According to reports, Barcelona have opened discussions over a deal for Alvarez and are prepared to submit an offer worth around €90 million (£77.9m), although Atletico are expected to reject any approach.
Atletico joke about signing Yamal
In response to the speculation, Atletico posted a tongue-in-cheek transfer offer for Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal.
The club claimed they had sent a proposal consisting of four tickets to a Bad Bunny concert, an annual newspaper subscription and a bag of sunflower seeds in exchange for the Spain international.
The post was accompanied by a mock transfer announcement and formed part of a string of satirical messages aimed at Barcelona.
Atletico also jokingly made offers for Pedri and Raphinha, including a proposal involving six concert tickets and another referencing club president Enrique Cerezo’s earlier mix-up when naming fictional players “Tom Ford” and “Smith”.
Social media posts attract huge attention
The barrage of messages was published over the course of just over an hour and quickly gained traction online, reportedly appearing in more than 55 million feeds on X.
While the early posts were light-hearted in tone, Atletico later adopted a more serious stance as they addressed ongoing speculation surrounding Alvarez.
The club warned supporters about misinformation online, stating that reality could easily be manipulated and urging fans not to believe everything they read regarding Barcelona.
Atletico accuse Barcelona of disrespect
In a subsequent statement, Atletico claimed they had been subjected to months of negative coverage surrounding one of their players.
The club alleged that leaks, fabricated stories and attempts to unsettle players had formed part of a coordinated effort to influence public opinion during the transfer saga.
Atletico also referenced Barcelona’s long-running legal issues relating to former Spanish referees’ committee vice-president Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, as well as the club’s well-documented player registration difficulties.
Barcelona have consistently denied wrongdoing regarding the Negreira case, while investigations remain ongoing.
Alvarez remains key figure for Atletico
The transfer speculation centres on Alvarez, who has scored 20 goals in all competitions this season.
The Argentina international joined Atletico from Manchester City in 2024 in a deal worth up to £81.5 million and has quickly become one of Diego Simeone’s most important attacking players.
With Atletico showing no desire to sell and Barcelona continuing to explore attacking reinforcements, the dispute between the two Spanish giants appears unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
