Atletico CEO closes the door on Barcelona move for Alvarez: ‘We didn’t accept €100m, nor will we accept €150m or €200m’ | OneFootball

Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin has made the club’s position on Julián Álvarez crystal clear, insisting the striker is not for sale under any circumstances despite continued speculation linking him with FC Barcelona.

Speaking to Atletico’s official media channels, Gil Marin addressed several topics surrounding the club, but his strongest comments were reserved for the future of the Argentine forward.

Not for sale for any price

Alvarez sparked headlines earlier this summer after stating during the World Cup that he wanted to “fulfil a dream,” comments widely interpreted as a desire to join Barcelona, even though he never mentioned the Catalan club by name.

Atletico’s response has remained unchanged throughout the saga. Now, according to Gil Marin, the club has already communicated its stance to the player, his representatives, and Barcelona president Joan Laporta.

“My opinion is clear, the club’s will is clear, we have made this clear to the player and his agent, and to the president of Barça,” he said, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.

Not for sale. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

“I have no doubt that Atletico is the right place in the world for Julian, and Julian is the perfect striker for Atletico Madrid. We want to keep him,” he added.

Barcelona’s offer rejected

Gil Marin also responded to Laporta’s recent remarks that Barcelona’s offer for Alvarez would not remain on the table indefinitely.

His reply was emphatic, as he said: “I simply heard some statements from the president (Laporta), saying that his offer wasn’t open-ended. And our response is that our response is indeed open-ended; we don’t want to transfer him.”

“We didn’t accept the €100 million offer, nor will we accept one of €150 million or €200 million,” he firmly stated.

Atletico Madrid remain firm on their stance. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

The comments reinforce Atletico’s position that Alvarez, whose contract runs until 2030 and includes a €500 million release clause, is considered untouchable.

Gil Marin’s statements come only hours after Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo also made it abundantly clear that the club had no intention of selling Alvarez despite the strong interest from Barcelona.

Given their reluctance to change their stance, it will be interesting to see whether the Blaugrana decide to explore alternatives.