English Premier League
Atletico Madrid deny pushing Julian Alvarez towards Barcelona move
Atletico Madrid have been left surprised by reports claiming the Spanish club encouraged Argentina striker Julian Alvarez to publicly express his desire to leave and pursue a dream move to Barcelona.
Alvarez was quoted earlier as saying: “The best thing for everyone is to complete a transfer; I want to fulfil my dream.” The comments were interpreted as a clear indication that he wants to change clubs during the current transfer window.
However, sources within Atletico Madrid told Mundo Deportivo that the club was not behind Alvarez’s statement. They said the suggestion was inconsistent with the way the club’s hierarchy deals with disputes involving its players.
According to the sources, Alvarez left Atletico at the end of the season to join the Argentina squad for the World Cup. Since then, they said, there had been no direct contact between the striker and the club’s management.
The only communication described by Atletico as routine involved the fitness coach responsible for monitoring players while they are away with their national teams. The club insists that contact had no connection with Alvarez’s future or any possible desire to leave.
Atletico’s board has stressed that it did not hold discussions with Alvarez after the conclusion of the season. That has increased the club’s bemusement at reports suggesting it had encouraged the player to announce his position publicly.
The reports, led by Argentine media including ESPN, claimed Atletico had effectively prompted Alvarez to make his intentions known. The club has rejected that account, although it was not completely surprised that the player might take action over his future.
Atletico officials had previously seen a report in Mundo Deportivo suggesting that Alvarez could make a move or issue a public statement about his situation on 23 June. That information was later circulated and reinforced by other media outlets.
As a result, the club had some awareness that Alvarez might make his position public. What caught Atletico off guard was the subsequent claim that the club itself had been involved in encouraging him to do so.
The dispute follows an earlier approach from Barcelona for the Argentina international. Barcelona submitted a formal offer for Alvarez several weeks ago, but Atletico rejected it immediately.
The proposal was understood to be worth 100m euros, with payment spread across six instalments. Atletico’s management did not consider the offer seriously and showed no interest in pursuing the terms put forward by the Catalan club.
The situation has therefore fuelled speculation over whether Alvarez could eventually move to Barcelona, despite Atletico’s firm rejection of the initial bid and its denial that it has sought to push the player towards an exit.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Atletico has been trying for some time to prevent sensitive matters involving players from being leaked to the media. That approach is particularly important when the issue concerns a player’s future or internal disagreements.
The club believes disputes with players are best resolved privately, with as little public comment and as few competing leaks as possible. Its position is that confidential discussions, rather than statements exchanged through the media, offer the most effective way to manage such problems.
