Álvarez reportedly asks captains for help as Atlético reject Barça talks
Julián Álvarez has reportedly asked Atlético’s captains to help secure a Barcelona move. The club’s board has officially backed a refusal to negotiate.
Barcelona still want Julián Álvarez. Atlético will not even discuss selling him to them. The forward has reportedly turned to his captains for help, leaving the dressing room to tackle a problem the executives have been unable to resolve.
According to Gerard Romero of Jijantes, as reported by ElDesmarque, Álvarez asked Koke, Jan Oblak and José María Giménez to intervene. The aim was to persuade Miguel Ángel Gil Marín to hear Barcelona’s proposal.
Diego Simeone reportedly told the squad that the decision belonged to Atlético’s hierarchy and was beyond the players’ control. Mundo Deportivo carried that account. This is reporting about private discussions, not a public statement from the coach.
The club’s position, however, is official. In a statement published on 27 August, Atlético’s board unanimously backed the refusal to negotiate with Barcelona. Atlético accuse the Catalan club of failing to act ethically, professionally and respectfully. Those are Atlético’s allegations and their stated reason for refusing talks.
Only a day earlier, Joan Laporta had reiterated Barcelona’s interest and said their offer would remain available until the transfer window closed. As Reuters reported, Barcelona’s president also stressed respect for Atlético.
That respect appears to have gone missing somewhere between the two clubs. Barcelona are keeping their offer alive, Atlético will not negotiate, and Álvarez is reportedly looking for intermediaries among his teammates. Koke can help build an attack. Someone else has to approve the transfer.
