"With this context, our interest and offer for the player remains up until the end of the window, in case Atletico de Madrid want to sell the player." Joan Laporta has made Barcelona's position plain: they still want Julián Alvarez, and they are still waiting. The problem is Atletico are not softening. Their answer remains a public no, and a loud one.

Laporta's intervention keeps the story alive, but it also makes the standoff look even less like a normal negotiation. Barcelona's only reported offer was €100m (£85.7m), and Laporta said it remained on the table even after Atletico told Barca they were not selling Alvarez.

Laporta's message and Barca's position

Laporta's strongest line, quoted by goal.com, left little room for doubt. "We are very interested in buying Julian Alvarez. We would like our offer to be accepted. We say it with all the respect towards Atletico de Madrid. We want them to know that if they ever are open to selling the player before the end of the summer transfer window, we would be willing to buy him."

That is a president keeping pressure on a deal that has not been opened by the selling club. Laporta also said, quoted by metro.co.uk: "We made an offer from club to club. I confirmed this offer in a personal phone conversation with Atletico president Miguel Ángel Gil."

There is still some noise around the exact valuation. BBC Sport put Barcelona's offer at €100m (£85.7m). Other reports have described it as around €90 million with €10 million in add-ons, while goal.com referenced a rejected €150m bid earlier this summer. The figures do not line up neatly, so the safest confirmed number in public is the €100m (£85.7m) offer reported by BBC Sport.

What is clear is that Barca have not walked away. Laporta also said: "We are still very interested in Julian Alvarez." That fits the broader sense of the week. Barcelona are trying to keep the door unlocked even though Atletico have been telling them it is shut.

Atletico's refusal has become personal

Atletico have moved well beyond a standard rejection. The club reported Barcelona to the Spanish Football Federation in July over an alleged ethics breach, and their public messaging now sounds like a grievance as much as a transfer stance.

Quoted by BBC Sport, Atletico said: "This is not about money, it's about dignity. The player is being victimised, but the only victim in the Julian case is us."

That is why the "0%" line matters here. Atletico said there is a zero per cent chance of selling Alvarez to Barca, and they have repeated that refusal in terms that make a late climbdown harder. A sale might still happen elsewhere if their position changes on the player generally, but selling directly to a league rival after all this would be a serious loss of face.

The mood around Alvarez has also turned awkward. BBC Sport reported that he was booed by Atletico supporters on Sunday during their draw with Villarreal and missed training on Wednesday. Reports have differed on whether that absence was illness or transfer tension, so it is better treated as part of the noise around him than hard proof of a break.

Arsenal remain the live alternative

While Barca keep pushing, Arsenal are still the club to watch if Atletico decide the situation has gone too far. The Independent reported that Arsenal have been monitoring the situation and could move late if Alvarez becomes available.

That route is not clean either. Josep Pedrerol, quoted by goal.com, said: "They tell me that the other day, Julian Alvarez did not want to answer Mikel Arteta's phone call". Even then, Alvarez's actual preference remains second-hand reporting. Several reports say Barcelona is the move he wants, while others suggest he would rather stay in Spain than return to the Premier League.

Atletico's stance on non-Barcelona buyers is also less settled than their Barca line. Some reporting says they could listen to offers for around €150m (£128m), and other reports suggest they are open to selling Alvarez anywhere except Barcelona. That is a much more believable outcome than a direct deal with Barca at this point.

The football side has hardly cooled things down. Alvarez has 1 goal and 0 assists in 8 appearances in 2026. He also played only 24 minutes in his latest La Liga appearance and posted a 6.3 rating. Those numbers do not decide a transfer worth this much money, but they do add to the sense that the current situation is drifting rather than settling.

Atletico's next league fixture is away to Sevilla on 29 August, with the transfer window still hanging over Alvarez, Barcelona and Arsenal.

FAQ

Will Julian Alvarez join Barcelona before the transfer window closes?

Barcelona are still trying. Joan Laporta said the club's offer remains on the table until the end of the window, but Atletico Madrid's public stance is that there is a 0% chance of selling Alvarez to Barca. At this stage it looks more like a deadline-week standoff than a deal moving toward completion.

Why are Atletico Madrid refusing to sell Julian Alvarez to Barcelona?

Atletico have framed the issue as more than price. In their statement, they said: "This is not about money, it's about dignity." The club also reported Barcelona to the Spanish Football Federation in July over an alleged ethics breach, which helps explain why their refusal has become so public and so aggressive.

Could Arsenal sign Julian Alvarez if Barcelona fail?

Arsenal remain the live alternative in the background. The Independent reported that Arsenal have been monitoring the situation and could move late if Alvarez becomes available. Reports differ on whether Atletico would listen to other clubs, but the route away from Barcelona looks more realistic than a direct sale to Barca.

Has Julian Alvarez's form affected the transfer saga at Atletico Madrid?

His recent numbers have not calmed the noise. Alvarez has 1 goal and 0 assists in 8 appearances in 2026, and he played only 24 minutes in his latest La Liga outing, where he recorded a 6.3 rating. That does not explain the whole saga, but it does add to the sense that his role is currently reduced.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 9 outlets. How we work →