Barcelona president waves away claims of “disrespect” made by Atletico’s chief executive
Joan Laporta has confirmed Barcelona made an offer to sign Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid and said the bid remains on the table despite it being rejected.
Alvarez revealed last week that he wants to leave Atletico this summer. He has been linked with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.
Barcelona have been looking for a long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who left the club at the end of the season and joined Chicago Fire FC earlier this week.
Laporta said Barcelona had already submitted an offer worth more than €100m for the Argentina forward.
“[Barcelona sporting director] Deco made an offer of a certain amount of money for [Alvarez], who has wanted to join us since he was at City,” Laporta said.
“I spoke with [Atletico CEO Miguel Angel] Gil Marin. He told me they were not planning to let him go, but the offer is firm and we stand by it.
“It remains on the table and the deal could still go through, but the offer is not open-ended. Atletico said no because they didn’t have a replacement. If they get one, we will see.”
Barcelona’s pursuit has caused tension between the clubs. Gil Marin accused the Catalan side last week of disrespect and said Atletico would report them to Fifa for approaching a player under contract until 2030.
Laporta rejected those claims and insisted Barcelona had followed the correct process.
“We have a lot of respect for Atletico,” he said. “At no moment did [Alvarez] mention Barça when he spoke. We didn’t force any of this.
“He has been on our radar since before he even signed for City. What we have done is make an offer from one club to another.
“We understand Atletico don’t want him to leave because they have no replacement. When they have one, if our offer is still on the table, he’s a player who would interest us.
“I don’t see the logic in their complaints. I don’t quite get their strategy, but I respect it. It would not be the first deal we do with Atletico, but maybe it’s the most sensitive.”
Alvarez joined Atletico from Manchester City in 2024 and has scored 49 goals in 106 appearances, including 10 in last season’s Champions League.
