Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed further details of the dispute between his club and Atlético Madrid during their pursuit of Argentine striker Julián Álvarez in the summer transfer window.
Speaking at a Barcelona members’ meeting, Laporta said the club submitted a formal €100 million offer for Álvarez, but Atlético refused to negotiate. Laporta also said he spoke directly with Atlético CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, who told him that the Madrid club did not plan to sell the striker because they had no replacement for him.
Laporta claimed that Atlético later showed a willingness to sell Álvarez to another club, but not Barcelona. The comments are consistent with Atlético’s position in August, when the club made clear that it would not negotiate Álvarez’s transfer with Barcelona, while remaining open to standard transfer-market negotiations with other clubs.
However, Laporta said the matter is now closed and that Barcelona are satisfied with the squad they have. The president also praised Raphinha’s development in the attacking department, adding that the Álvarez saga is now part of the club’s history.
