Barcelona Insists on Alvarez... Atletico Refuses

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick hinted yesterday that the club could close the summer transfer window without signing a new striker, should it prove impossible to secure Argentine forward Julian Alvarez, whose parent club Atletico Madrid has repeatedly refused to let him go. The Catalan side has made Alvarez their top target, while Spanish media reported that Barcelona president Joan Laporta’s stance can be summed up as “Alvarez or no one.” Barcelona is seeking to bolster its attack following the departures of Polish striker Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres. Atletico Madrid has repeatedly insisted that the 2022 World Cup champion is not for sale. A source at the club told AFP, in response to a request for comment, that Atletico had already clarified its position on several occasions. Alvarez (26) missed Atletico’s training session yesterday due to illness, after days of receiving boos from some of his own fans during Sunday’s 2-2 La Liga draw against Villarreal. Barcelona’s interest in Alvarez has been public for months, and the player himself indicated during the World Cup that he wished to leave. In July, Laporta revealed that Barcelona had submitted an offer to sign the forward, adding that the offer would remain valid even after being informed by Atletico that the player was unavailable for transfer. Laporta spoke again yesterday, reaffirming that Barcelona had not lost hope of reaching an agreement with Atletico. In a video clip published by the club, Laporta said: “It seems the player wants to come to Barcelona, so we continue to hold on to hope and our strategy, with full respect for Atletico Madrid, that we will be able to sign him.”