Atlético de Madrid has moved to shut down growing speculation around Julián Álvarez, insisting the Argentine forward is not for sale amid reports linking him with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. According to the club, the rumors have become excessive and are based on “lies,” “half-truths,” and even invented stories, including claims that Álvarez had looked into buying a house in Barcelona. The Madrid side said it has had enough of the ongoing chatter and wanted to make its position clear.
The club also took aim at Barcelona’s conduct, describing it as the behavior of a “small club.” Atlético said it has not received any offer for the player and that no meeting has taken place regarding a possible transfer. At the same time, the club was careful to defend Álvarez personally, stressing that he is not to blame for the situation. Atlético said his behavior has been impeccable and that the issue is entirely external to the player.
The comments come as speculation around Álvarez continues to intensify in Spain. Several reports have suggested that the 26-year-old forward would prefer a move to Barcelona if he were to leave Atlético, fueling further talk of a summer transfer battle. The rumors have also involved PSG, but Barcelona has been the club most frequently mentioned as a possible destination.
Despite Atlético’s public pushback, the transfer noise does not appear to be dying down. Spanish media reports on Thursday claimed Barcelona is preparing an offer of around €100 million for the Calchín-born striker. Other reports added that performance-related bonuses could push the total package as high as €150 million.
For now, Atlético’s message is firm: Julián Álvarez is not on the market, no formal talks have taken place, and the club sees the growing speculation as unfounded. Still, with Barcelona reportedly readying a major bid, the situation surrounding the striker is likely to remain one of the summer’s most closely watched transfer stories.
