Atlético Madrid privately gave Julián Álvarez written permission to discuss a move to Barcelona, according to an update from El Chiringuito TV. The claim, relayed by journalist Jordi Jota, contrasts sharply with Atlético’s public insistence throughout the summer that no deal with the Catalan side would ever be entertained.
Jota says he personally saw the document, describing it as proof that Atlético set conditions for Álvarez to discuss a Barcelona switch and put their approval in writing. The contents and authenticity of that document have not been independently verified beyond this report.
How the reported agreement contrasts with Atlético’s public position
Barcelona pushed hard to prise Álvarez away from Atlético Madrid this summer, but the Rojiblancos’ unwillingness to strengthen a direct La Liga rival ultimately steered the Catalan club toward alternative targets. That search led Barcelona to Gabriel Jesus, whose arrival from Arsenal has been finalised in recent days.
Yet the written-consent claim suggests Álvarez’s situation may never have been as closed off as Atlético’s public messaging indicated. The club continued to reject any suggestion of cooperating with Barcelona in public even as, according to this report, private written permission was reportedly granted.
No fee or contract terms attached to the claim
Notably, the report does not detail a transfer fee, contract length, release clause, or any financial structure tied to the alleged consent. It concerns only the reported permission for Álvarez to discuss a move, not the terms of an actual transfer agreement between the two clubs.
Atlético’s stance and Barcelona’s continuing interest
Atlético’s public position throughout has been to reject any cooperation with Barcelona over Álvarez, a stance the club has maintained publicly even as this reported document allegedly existed behind the scenes. A permission to discuss a move is not the same as an agreement to sell, and nothing in the report establishes that Atlético had agreed to let Álvarez leave.
Barcelona, for their part, had already accepted that completing a deal for the Atlético forward was not realistic in the closing days of the summer window. Signing Gabriel Jesus does not mean the Catalan club has abandoned its interest in Álvarez altogether.
What happens next for Álvarez and Barcelona
The plan, per this report, is for Barcelona to revisit the pursuit when the January window opens, when the financial and competitive landscape could look different. That remains a reported possibility rather than a confirmed agreement or fixed timetable, and the broader saga around Álvarez’s future is likely to keep evolving before then.
