Barcelona president Joan Laporta has issued a stern warning to Atletico Madrid regarding the Catalan club’s pursuit of Argentine forward Julian Alvarez, firmly asserting that the Blaugrana will not be held to ransom over any external timelines.
Barcelona has reportedly submitted an official €100 million bid to Atletico Madrid for Alvarez. However, the Madrid-based club has maintained a rigid stance, insisting they will not sell the Argentine star to Barca under any circumstances.
While Barcelona faces fierce competition from Arsenal—who are keen on hijacking the deal before kicking off their pre-season campaign—sources suggest that Alvarez himself prefers to continue his career in La Liga.
Laporta: “We Set the Pace Here”
Speaking from the United States ahead of the 2026 World Cup semi-finals, Laporta was crystal clear about Barcelona’s position on the Alvarez deal:
“We’re not going to dance to anyone’s tune. We set the pace here. We’ve made an offer, but it’s not an open-ended offer, it’s not an unlimited offer.”
He further added: “We’ll see how long it remains valid. We’ve already expressed our intention to sign the player requested by the coach and the technical staff; we like him a lot and think he’s a fantastic player.”
Complex Relations and Clarifications
The transfer history between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid has always been complex. Addressing potential friction between the two Spanish giants, Laporta noted:
“I believe our relationship with them is very good. There was some confusion regarding the offer we made, and I personally clarified it. We haven’t put any more pressure on them. I simply stated that the moment they are willing, our offer remains valid. That’s where it ended; it hasn’t progressed any further for the time being.”
