Atletico Madrid's Stance on Julian Alvarez: 0% Chance of Sale

Atletico Madrid have drawn a hard line in the sand over Julian Alvarez – and they are not budging.

With Barcelona circling and Arsenal lurking in the background, Atleti have gone on the offensive, insisting there is “0% chance” they will sell the Argentina forward to their La Liga rivals, despite a €100m (£85.7m) offer still on the table.

Atleti fury as Laporta keeps pushing

The latest flashpoint came on Wednesday, when Barcelona president Joan Laporta released a new video confirming that Barca’s nine-figure bid for Alvarez remains active. Atletico’s response was immediate and angry.

“This is not about money, it's about dignity. The player is being victimised, but the only victim in the Julian case is us,” the club said in a strongly worded statement.

“They have harmed us economically and socially. There is 0% chance of selling him to Barca.

“There is a campaign of many lies and half-truths. The only one paying for this is Atletico.”

Laporta, for his part, stressed Barca’s “great respect” for Atletico while reiterating that the proposal they made earlier in the summer still stands. Inside Barcelona, the stance is clear: they will keep pushing for Alvarez until the window shuts.

Atletico, though, are treating this like a matter of principle.

Booed, absent, and at the centre of a storm

All of this comes at the end of a turbulent week for Alvarez in Madrid.

On Sunday, he started on the bench against Villarreal and was loudly jeered by sections of the home support as he warmed up. The boos grew even louder when he came on in the 66th minute.

At full-time, while his teammates walked over to applaud the fans, Alvarez went straight down the tunnel. That decision drew fresh anger from the stands and only fuelled the sense of rupture between player and supporters.

Diego Simeone later suggested it was a pre-agreed club decision for the striker to head straight to the dressing room, an attempt to douse the flames rather than add oxygen to them.

By Wednesday, Alvarez had missed training. Reports from Spain said he was unwell, but the timing only added to the sense of drama around his future.

Barca’s need, Arsenal’s dream, player’s wish

Barcelona’s pursuit is rooted in a simple reality: they need a long-term successor to Robert Lewandowski, who left the club this summer. Alvarez, 26, ticks every box for them.

He joined Atletico from Manchester City in 2024 and has the profile Barca want – mobile, technically sharp, already a World Cup winner with Argentina.

Arsenal, watching all this unfold from a distance, have not hidden their admiration. Inside the club, Alvarez is viewed as a dream signing, the kind of centre-forward Mikel Arteta could build an attack around for years.

For now, though, the Gunners are waiting rather than acting. With the deadline approaching next week, there is a growing sense in north London that prising Alvarez away in this window may be beyond them.

The complication? Those close to the situation insist Alvarez still wants to stay in Spain. That keeps Barcelona, and to a lesser extent Paris St-Germain, right in the conversation.

A saga months in the making

This stand-off did not appear overnight. It has been simmering for months.

Back in May, Barcelona made the first formal move, opening talks and tabling an offer for Alvarez. Atletico’s public stance then was as blunt as it is now: they would not sell to Barca.

The club even leaned into the row on social media, posting mocking messages to their millions of followers and claiming they were the victims of a “smear campaign” over Barca’s pursuit.

Alvarez went to the World Cup with Argentina with his future already a major storyline. After Argentina’s win over Austria in June, he admitted he had spoken to Atletico and declared “the best thing for everyone is a transfer”, adding: “I want to fulfil my dream.”

Those words cut through. They confirmed that, regardless of Atletico’s repeated insistence that he was not for sale, Alvarez himself was open to leaving. Barcelona and Paris St-Germain were both heavily linked.

Then came the twist from across town.

Real Madrid’s Galactico bid rejected

In June, Real Madrid entered the race with a statement of intent. Florentino Perez had promised supporters a €150m bid for an unnamed “Galactico” if he was re-elected as president. That player turned out to be Alvarez.

Real duly lodged a €150m (£130m) offer. It was rejected.

Madrid pointed to Alvarez’s €500m (£430m) release clause and said Atletico had “expressed its gratitude for the proposal”. Atleti fired back on social media once again, denying any gratitude and doubling down on their refusal to sell – particularly to Barcelona.

Through it all, the message from the Metropolitano has been consistent. Chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin went as far as saying the club would not sell Alvarez “even for 200m euros (£170.8m)”.

War of words with the clock ticking

Now, as deadline day on 1 September looms into view, the rhetoric is hardening rather than softening.

Hansi Flick, speaking before Barcelona’s match against Athletic Club on Thursday, refused to be drawn into the saga, saying only: “I only want to speak about the situation of the club.”

Barcelona, though, are not backing away. Atletico are digging in. Arsenal are watching. Real Madrid have already tested the water and been rebuffed.

And in the middle of it all stands Julian Alvarez – booed by his own fans, wanted by Europe’s giants, tied to a club that insists there is “0% chance” he will be sold to their greatest domestic rival.

Something has to give. The only question now is whether it happens before the window slams shut, or in the next chapter of a feud that shows no sign of cooling.