LAPORTA TO ATLETICO MADRID: SELL TO EVERYONE BUT NOT US!
Reports in Spain linked Álvarez with Arsenal as one of the clubs Atlético would have preferred to deal with.
Argentine striker Julián Álvarez. Photo: Courtesy.
By Robert Mutasi
The Julián Álvarez saga has exploded into an all-out war of words between FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, with Barcelona president Joan Laporta finally breaking his silence and accusing the Madrid club of blocking a deal out of spite.
Speaking to club delegates this weekend about the summer negotiations, Laporta revealed that Barcelona had lodged a formal offer in excess of €100 million for the Argentine striker and had engaged in direct talks with the Atlético hierarchy.
“Atlético have shown their true colors. They acted as though they were the offended party, they had no way of justifying their attitude. We did what is normally done, as there were talks between the clubs, then I personally spoke with Gil Marín,” Laporta said, referencing his conversation with Atlético CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín.
According to Laporta, Gil Marín told him that Julián wasn’t coming because Atlético didn’t have an alternative, before the Rojiblancos reacted furiously to Barcelona’s public pursuit.
“He told me Julián wasn’t coming because they didn’t have an alternative… and then Atlético reacted inappropriately. I do not know what caused it. I can imagine why, but I have no proof,” Laporta added.
The Barcelona president claimed the club was repeatedly informed that Atlético were willing to entertain offers from every other top European club except Barcelona. Reports in Spain linked Álvarez with Arsenal as one of the clubs Atlético would have preferred to deal with.
“We were hearing reports that they would sell to anyone in the world except Barça. And that’s the case… they were actually ready to sell Julián to any club in the world, but not to us,” Laporta said. “We constantly received information that they wanted to sell to everyone except Barça, and they admitted it”.
The comments did not go down well in Madrid. Atlético hit back within hours, releasing a furious statement to MARCA that has now become the defining line of the saga.
“The player is being victimized, but the only victim of the Julian case is us. They have harmed us economically and socially. There is a 0% chance of selling him to Barça. This situation is not about money; it’s about dignity,” the club said. In another briefing, the board insisted there was “zero per cent chance of selling him to Barca” and accused Barcelona and Álvarez’s camp of orchestrating “a campaign with many lies and half-truths.”
Atlético maintain that Barcelona failed to conduct negotiations in a “professional, ethical and respectful manner” after Laporta publicly confirmed interest and urged Atlético to accept the bid while Álvarez reportedly missed training.
Despite the bitter exchange, Laporta tried to close the chapter: “It’s already the past, we’re now very happy with our squad.”
For now, Álvarez remains an Atlético player, but the rift between two of La Liga’s giants , reminiscent of the João Félix fallout, appears deeper than ever, with dignity, not money, at the center of the dispute.
About Author
