Julian Alvarez to Barcelona? Atletico say there is 0% chance

Barcelona wanted a price. Atletico Madrid responded with a percentage.

A club source quoted by Marca has categorically ruled out selling Julian Alvarez to Barcelona. The message from the Metropolitano is now said to be simple: there is a 0% chance of the Argentine joining Barça.

The response followed another public intervention from Joan Laporta. Barcelona’s president confirmed that the club remain interested in Alvarez and said he wants Atletico to accept their offer. Laporta also insisted that Barça have approached the situation with maximum respect.

Madrid appears to have reached a different conclusion.

“This is not about money, it is about dignity,” the Atletico source reportedly said. The club believes it has been harmed financially and socially, while the public narrative around Alvarez has been described as a campaign involving lies and half-truths.

This is not an official Atletico statement. It is nevertheless a remarkably firm message delivered by somebody speaking from inside the club.

According to Cadena SER, Barcelona’s opening proposal was worth €90 million plus €10 million in add-ons, with the payments spread across six years. Atletico rejected it and have no intention of strengthening a direct domestic rival.

Barcelona can call that a €100 million package. Atletico can look at the six-year payment schedule and conclude that it resembles a television series more than a bank transfer.

The dispute has already moved beyond ordinary transfer negotiations. Cadena SER reports that Atletico have submitted evidence to the RFEF and FIFA concerning alleged pressure from Barcelona and the player’s representatives. The Madrid club believes the saga has damaged Alvarez’s value, performances and relationship with supporters.

That tension was visible during the 2-2 draw with Villarreal. Alvarez was jeered while warming up, when his name was announced and again as he entered the pitch. He walked down the tunnel alone after the final whistle while his teammates acknowledged the crowd.

The striker missed Wednesday’s training session due to illness, although El País reports that he is expected to be available for Atletico’s next match.

Hansi Flick has said that he is aligned with Laporta and Deco over Alvarez but does not want to keep discussing the striker publicly. He also stressed his confidence in Barcelona’s existing squad. That is useful insurance when the selling club has stopped talking about money and started talking about dignity.

Alvarez’s preference may give Barcelona encouragement, but it cannot replace an agreement with Atletico. Laporta asked for the offer to be accepted. The current answer from Madrid is not a price.

It is zero.