Julián Álvarez Transfer Saga Hits Standstill as Atlético Refuse to Sell to Barcelona

According to Mundo Deportivo, Julián Álvarez’s future has reached a standstill. Atlético Madrid are unwilling to let him join Barcelona, while Arsenal are watching from afar, waiting for the next chapter of this transfer saga after Vinícius Júnior renews his contract with Real Madrid.

Álvarez had already expressed his desire to leave during the World Cup, and he is now hoping to convince Atlético Madrid to open the door for a move to Barcelona. However, considering Atlético’s previous social media posts that appeared to mock Barcelona, reaching an agreement does not look easy.

The situation has sparked intense debate among football shows and fans in recent weeks, with many discussing possible ways to break the deadlock. Former Girona player Aday Benítez is one of those who has offered his opinion. A few months ago, he was still the head coach of CE Europa, leading the club to a historic promotion to Spain’s Primera Federación in 2025.

Benítez believes Álvarez’s most extreme option would be to “simply refuse to train and start a standoff that lasts until the end of the transfer window.” In his view, “no one is going to pay €500 million,” and if he were Atlético Madrid, he would not hesitate to accept an offer of around €100 million.



The former left-back understands that, given the circumstances, the club may have no choice but to sit down with the striker and listen to Barcelona’s proposal. However, it is unlikely that Álvarez will take such a drastic approach and completely force the issue, because if Atlético take a firm stance, he could end up spending time on the sidelines.

The Argentine forward, who wears the No. 19 shirt, returned to training this week, but the situation has not unfolded as the club originally expected. On Monday, Álvarez arrived at Atlético’s training ground hoping to speak with Diego Simeone, but the coach was still on holiday in Ibiza, a development that reportedly left the player unhappy.

Wednesday was expected to be the key day, with the two scheduled to meet during the morning training session. However, the tension around the training ground was obvious. It appeared that the meeting had already taken place before training began, with Simeone informing Álvarez of the club’s position: he is not for sale.



This summer transfer saga is far from over, but Álvarez is fully aware that he wants to wear the Barcelona shirt. Meanwhile, Barcelona are still working on other pending moves, including Ferran Torres’ potential departure to Paris Saint-Germain, followed by the arrival of Rodri at Camp Nou.

Time is running out, and the closing date of the transfer window is getting closer with every passing day.