Recommended
Atlético de Madrid's stance on Julián Álvarez is now official: the Argentine attacker will not be sold to Barcelona.
The tug-of-war between the clubs over Álvarez has turned him into the great saga of the summer transfer market in European football.
But Atlético released a statement on Thursday in which it noted that its board of directors unanimously gave its "absolute backing to the club's decision not to negotiate the transfer of Julián Alvarez to Barcelona."
"Atlético de Madrid is open to the negotiations typical of the transfer market, but always in an ethical and professional manner and with respect between clubs," the statement indicated.
"We fully support the position previously communicated by the club that Barcelona has not met these requirements and consequently there has not been nor will there be any negotiation with them regarding the transfer of Julián Alvarez."
According to reports, Arsenal, the reigning Premier League champion, is also interested in signing Álvarez, whose release clause is reportedly 500 million euros (582 million dollars).
However, Atlético's statement implied that he is not going anywhere.
"Atlético de Madrid is convinced that our player will understand the decision, focusing on working in the best way to help the club meet its objectives, as he has already done in the two seasons he has been defending our colors," it noted.
Álvarez was left out of Atlético's squad for the debut in the Spanish League and was booed by the team's fans in his second game on Sunday, when he came on as a substitute.
The forward did not train with Atlético on Wednesday, the same day that Barcelona president Joan Laporta stated that his club maintained its offer to sign 26-year-old Álvarez.
"We are very interested in the player and would like our offer to be accepted," Laporta told the Azulgrana club's media. "We do it with all due respect to Atlético de Madrid."
[Publicidad]