The Madrid wall is not coming down
Atletico Madrid have shut the door on the whole thing. In a sharp statement released on Thursday, the club’s board threw its full backing behind the hierarchy: there has never been, and there will not be, any talks with Barcelona over Julian Alvarez.
That was a blunt message for Joan Laporta, who had only the day before been insisting his 100 million euro offer still stood.
Catalan tactics and legal pushback
Behind that hard line, the Madrid club is furious at what it sees as Barca’s methods. Atletico accuse Barca of approaching the 26-year-old striker and his agents in the middle of the season, knowingly trampling over FIFA rules.
Madrid have already taken that grievance to the international body. On the money side, chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin is standing firm: the Argentina international is simply out of reach, whether the bid is 100, 150 or 200 million euros.
The player pushes it to the brink, and the Metropolitano erupts
The trouble is Alvarez has already got his head elsewhere. Tempted by the chance to replace Robert Lewandowski and follow in the footsteps of his idol Lionel Messi, he has gone all in on a showdown.
Already coy about his future during the World Cup this summer, the former Manchester City man went a step further this week by missing the last two training sessions. It earned him a savage reception, with abuse included, from the Metropolitano crowd last weekend.
A risky gamble for the rest of the season
Even with the split now out in the open between the player and Atletico’s supporters, the club hierarchy say the saga is over.
They believe Alvarez will swallow his disappointment, accept the club’s decision and get back to work to meet his sporting targets. It sounds optimistic at best, and like a dangerous all-or-nothing call with the transfer window closing fast.
Photo credit: Alberto Gardin / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP
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