“Julián, leave.” Barcelona have not signed Álvarez, but the banners are already out in Madrid

FC Barcelona have not reached an agreement with Atlético Madrid. Julián Álvarez remains an Atlético player and his release clause still stands at €500 million. A calm and perfectly manageable situation, then. Naturally, it has already reached the stage of protest banners, crossed-out shirt numbers and open hostility from part of the fanbase.

Signs reading “Julián fuera” — “Julián, leave” — appeared outside Atlético’s training complex. Another showed his number 19 crossed out. The action was attributed to the Frente Atlético supporters’ group, with photographs of the banners quickly spreading across social media.

This was not the first sign that some Atlético supporters had run out of patience. Insulting chants aimed at Álvarez were heard during the league match against Málaga, while another banner targeting the Argentine appeared near the Metropolitano. Álvarez was not included in the squad, although Diego Simeone linked his absence to the player’s later return after the World Cup and the need to catch up physically.

Atlético won the match 2–0, but the result did nothing to end the discussion about the striker’s future. The club have spent the summer insisting that Álvarez is not for sale. CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín even declared that Atlético would reject offers of €100 million, €150 million or €200 million. Barcelona’s message from Madrid was clear: there would be no negotiations.

Part of the fanbase is now sending the club a very different message. Atlético are determined to keep the player, while banners outside their own training ground are telling him to leave. It is an impressively tidy arrangement. All that is missing is for the club to publish two official statements contradicting each other on the same afternoon.

Álvarez has not publicly announced that he has chosen Barcelona. There is also no confirmed agreement between the clubs. Reports about his preferred destination and Barcelona’s interest remain media information and must be separated from the verified facts. What can be confirmed is that his relationship with a section of Atlético’s supporters has deteriorated badly.

Barcelona are still searching for a new centre-forward and continue to be linked with the Argentine. The curious part is that the Catalan club have not even taken the transfer close to completion, yet the situation in Madrid is already beginning to look combustible.

Atlético can refuse to negotiate, point to the contract and hide behind a €500 million release clause. It may be more difficult to pretend that Álvarez can simply return to the team, score a few goals and make everyone forget what was hanging outside the training ground.