Atletico Madrid President Enrique Cerezo has warned FC Barcelona that his club doesn’t want to sell star player Julian Alvarez.
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Atletico Madrid President Enrique Cerezo has warned FC Barcelona that his club doesn’t want to sell star player Julian Alvarez.
“It took us by surprise and we have done what we had to do, to say that he is an Atletico Madrid player and that we do not have any offer from anything or anyone, and that, even if there were offers, we do not want to sell him,” Cerezo told RNE in Spain.
Alvarez is the Catalans’ top target this summer, to inherit the number 9 shirt left vacant by Robert Lewandowski.
After four successful years at the Spotify Camp Nou which yielded three La Liga trophies, the Pole left the club when his contract expired on June 30.
Since then, he’s been swiftly announced as a marquee signing by the Chicago Fire in the MLS.
Julian Alvarez continues to elude FC Barcelona
Reports from Argentina have already claimed that Alvarez has agreed to join Barça on a five-year deal.
His price tag is a sticking point, however. Thanks to the arch nemesis of both clubs in question, Real Madrid, Alvarez’s market value is believed to be something around the $171 million (€150 million) the mark.
According to a report this week, Atleti have told the Blaugrana as much.
That’s because Cerezo’s Los Blancos counterpart Florentino Perez promised to bid that amount for an unnamed player while on the campaign trail.
After being re-elected, Perez kept his word and tabled the sum for Alvarez, which Atletico knocked back.
Cerezo is now in a place where he can’t accept less for Alvarez. At the same time, Alvarez doesn’t want to be at the Metropolitano and revealed to ESPN that he’s informed Atleti of this.
“The truth is that I don’t know,” Alvarez remarked regarding his future, following Argentina’s recent World Cup group victory over Austria.
“I don’t think it’s the time to talk, but I can’t hide either. I try to be an honest person. I spoke to the people at the club, who I had to talk to. I think the best thing for everyone is a transfer and I want to fulfill my dream,” he added.
Said dream is widely accepted to be a move to FC Barcelona. With Atleti unwilling to sell and the interested club unable to match Real Madrid’s bid as things stand, however, there’s a lot of work ahead to make it come true for Alvarez.