Atlético Madrid will not negotiate with Barcelona over Julián Álvarez under any circumstances, according to the Guardian, which reports that chief executive Miguel Ángel Gil Marín delivered a blistering public rejection of Barça’s interest in the Argentina forward on Thursday. The intervention came a day after Barcelona president Joan Laporta said his club remained “very interested” in signing Álvarez, only for Gil Marín to insist Los Rojiblancos were united in refusing any deal with their La Liga rivals.
Why Atlético have drawn a line under the Barcelona approach
Atlético’s board of directors unanimously backed that position earlier on Thursday, ruling out talks with Barcelona and stating there was “zero consideration” of a transfer before the summer window shuts. The stance comes despite Álvarez having made his own desire to leave known, and despite being booed by Atleti supporters during Sunday’s 2-2 home draw with Villarreal, as Football España have detailed in their coverage of the dispute.
The forward said this summer, while on World Cup duty with Argentina, that he wanted to “fulfil my dream” by departing Atlético, a comment that set the saga in motion and one that has since fed into wider scrutiny of how Barcelona’s approach was conducted, including the RFEF disciplinary questions that followed.
Arsenal remain a possible alternative
Arsenal have also been linked with a move for the former Manchester City forward, though nothing in Atlético’s public position suggests the Premier League club are treated as the preferred or only alternative. Gil Marín was explicit that his own preference is for Álvarez to stay in Madrid beyond Tuesday’s deadline, a stance he has held consistently since earlier clashes with Laporta over the player.
“Our intention and my personal dream is for him to stay with us, to remain at Atlético,” he said. “If he believes that staying at Atlético is no longer feasible, we will look for an alternative, but it will never, ever be Barcelona.”
Gil Marín and Barcelona’s public confrontation
Gil Marín’s language went beyond a simple refusal to sell, accusing Barcelona directly of bad faith in how they have pursued the deal. “The truth is that it outrages us even more; we are repulsed by the dishonesty, the lack of ethics, transparency and professionalism, and we can only insist that we will not negotiate with Barcelona under any circumstances,” he told Movistar Plus.
Barcelona vice-president Rafa Yuste responded angrily to the remarks. “It is a lack of manners and respect,” he told the same broadcaster. “With those words, they’ve crossed a red line.”
What happens before the window closes
With the summer transfer window closing on Tuesday, Atlético’s board has already ruled out any talks with Barcelona in the time remaining. Gil Marín’s stated preference is for Álvarez to stay put, and while he left open the possibility of “an alternative” if the player concludes his Atlético future is untenable, he was unambiguous that such an alternative would never be Barcelona.
Gil Marín also addressed Álvarez’s state of mind directly, saying the forward has been unsettled by the saga. “Julián is really struggling; there have been people who have set out to deceive and confuse him, and I’m very sorry about that,” he said, adding that the player is “very confused and going through a very difficult time, both personally and professionally.”
