Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, has confirmed that the club has submitted an official bid to sign Julián Álvarez from Atlético Madrid, while insisting the striker is keen on a move to Camp Nou.
The Catalan giants’ interest in the Argentina international has been one of the major transfer stories of the summer, and Laporta has now publicly acknowledged that Barcelona have already approached Atlético with a formal offer.
Álvarez recently fueled speculation about his future after Argentina’s 2-0 FIFA World Cup victory over Austria, revealing that he believes a transfer would benefit all parties.
Addressing the growing reports, Laporta stressed that Barcelona did not influence the player’s comments and reiterated the club’s longstanding admiration for the forward.
“Let me state upfront that we continue to have great respect for Atletico. The tweets were before Julian stated that he wants to play for a big team; he didn’t mention Barca. Some interpreted it as Barca, and others didn’t. We didn’t force this; it was the player himself. This player was on Barça’s radar before signing for City, and even before that. At that time, we couldn’t afford the transfer. We made an offer, club to club.”
Despite Barcelona’s approach, negotiations have failed to progress, with Laporta suggesting Atlético’s reluctance to sell stems from their inability to secure a suitable replacement.
The 26-year-old joined Atlético from Manchester City in 2024 and enjoyed an impressive 2025-26 campaign, contributing 20 goals and nine assists in all competitions.
Laporta said, “We understand that he’s not selling because he doesn’t have alternatives. When they have alternatives, if they want to, and this offer is still valid, we’re interested in making the transfer. Now I see that there have been a series of actions. I don’t see the logic behind this. All of Atletico’s representatives are very experienced, and I don’t know what their strategy is. They have our offer; if they want to accept, we’d be delighted.”
The situation has become increasingly tense after Atlético lodged formal complaints with both FIFA and the Spanish Football Federation, accusing Barcelona of making an improper approach for a player under contract.
Atlético chief executive Miguel Ángel Gil Marín confirmed the complaints, a move that Laporta believes is unnecessary given the history of transfers between the two clubs.
“It won’t be the first time we’ve done a deal, and they’ve always been done, except for a few contentious ones, by agreement and without problems,” the president added. “This one is more sensitive, perhaps. We’re making a significant effort, and it’s a proposal we’ll maintain until we reconsider. Atletico are being completely inflexible, and I hope they’ll change their minds and accept. If they don’t, they should say so, and we’ll see. But taking it to UEFA, FIFA… I don’t know what the point is. Maybe there are people looking to stir things up… it doesn’t make sense.”
While Barcelona remain determined to land the World Cup-winning attacker, Laporta made it clear that the club will not allow the transfer saga to drag on indefinitely.
The Barcelona president emphasised that the club’s financial strategy will remain disciplined and that the current proposal will not stay on the table forever.
“Barca can handle any operation, but with sporting and economic logic. We’ll dictate the market. I’ve spoken with Atlético and made it clear what we want. Deco made an offer. We know the player wants to come to Barça, and has for a long time. We made this proposal with all due respect to the Madrid club. They told me they weren’t planning to sell because we didn’t have any alternatives. We’ll maintain this offer for as long as we deem necessary. We won’t be at their mercy. If they want to make the move, we’d be delighted. The offer isn’t open-ended,” Laporta concluded.
