'0% chance' - Atletico hit back at Barca over Alvarez transfer row

What the report says

Atletico Madrid have sharply rejected Barcelona’s latest public comments about Julian Alvarez, saying there is “0% chance” they will sell the forward to their La Liga rivals. The dispute follows Barcelona president Joan Laporta’s video statement, which said the club’s earlier €100m offer for Alvarez was still available and that Barcelona remained interested in signing him.

BBC Sport reports that the row has intensified during a summer of repeated speculation around the Argentina international, who joined Atletico from Manchester City in 2024. Atletico accused Barcelona of harming them economically and socially and said the player had been unfairly targeted. The comments came after Alvarez was booed by sections of Atletico supporters during Sunday’s draw with Villarreal, then missed training on Wednesday; reports said he was unwell.

Barcelona, meanwhile, are said to want to continue trying to land the striker before the transfer window closes. The situation has also attracted interest from Arsenal, although the BBC says their chances are now seen as less likely. Alvarez is regarded as one of the major transfer storylines of the summer, in part because Barcelona are looking for a long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski.

More broadly, the BBC describes the transfer saga as one marked by public back-and-forth between the clubs, with Atletico repeatedly insisting the player is not for sale. Separate background cited by the BBC notes that Atletico have previously rejected other approaches and have pointed to Alvarez’s large release clause.