‘Never, ever’: Atletico slam door on Barca’s pursuit of Julian Alvarez

Atletico Madrid chief executive said Thursday that Julian Alvarez will “never, ever” be sold to Barcelona, slamming the door on the Catalan club’s pursuit of the Argentine forward and accusing them of dishonesty.

Miguel Angel Gil Marin delivered ⁠a blistering response after Barcelona’s President ⁠Joan Laporta said a day earlier that the club remained “very interested” in signing Alvarez.

Speaking to Spanish broadcaster Movistar Plus after Thursday’s Champions League ⁠league phase draw, Gil Marin said Atletico were united from top to bottom in refusing to negotiate with their La Liga rivals.

“The truth is that it outrages us even more; we are repulsed by the dishonesty, the lack of ethics, transparency and professionalism, and we can only insist that we will not negotiate with Barcelona under any circumstances,” Gil Marin said.

“I have the support of everyone working with me, from shareholders to directors, and the only certain and firm decision is that we will not negotiate with Barcelona under any circumstances; ⁠you ⁠have my word – which is one of the few things I have – the player will most certainly not be transferred to Barcelona.”

The Rojiblancos previously reported Barcelona to FIFA and the Spanish football federation for their pursuit of Alvarez.

The forward missed training for the second day running on Wednesday because of a reported illness, after being jeered by the club’s fans during Atletico’s 2-2 La Liga draw against Villarreal on Sunday.

Alvarez said in July during the World Cup that a transfer would be “best” for everyone.

On Wednesday, Laporta said Barcelona still had an offer, reported to be around 100 million euros ($116m), on the table for the 26-year-old.

The La Liga champions have made Alvarez their prime target as they seek to strengthen their attack after the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.

Alvarez joined Atletico from Manchester City in 2024 in a deal worth up to 95 million euros.

Barcelona Vice-President Rafa Yuste reacted angrily to Gil Marin’s remarks.

“It is a lack of manners and respect,” Yuste told Movistar. “With those words, they’ve crossed a red line.”

Earlier Thursday, Atletico’s board of directors unanimously backed the club’s stance on Alvarez, ruling out talks with Barcelona and saying there was “zero consideration” of a ⁠transfer to the Catalan club.

Gil Marin said the situation had affected Alvarez, describing the forward as confused and under pressure.

“Julian is really struggling; there have been people who have set out to deceive and confuse him, and I’m very sorry about that,” he said.

“I know him and we’ve been working with him for some time; he’s a great professional and footballer, but he’s very confused and ⁠going through ‌a ‌very difficult time, both personally and professionally.”

Asked whether Atletico ⁠would consider selling Alvarez to another club, Gil ‌Marin said his preference was for the player to remain in Madrid.

“Our intention and my personal dream is for him to ⁠stay with us, to remain at Atletico,” he said. “To ⁠compete amongst the greats, you need great players, and Julian is one.

“If ⁠he believes that staying at Atletico Madrid is no longer feasible, we will look for an alternative, but it will never, ever be Barcelona.”

Premier League champions Arsenal have been linked with the Argentina international in recent days.

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