Overview
- Deco told radio listeners on Thursday that Barcelona submitted a formal €100 million offer for Julián Álvarez payable over three seasons and received no reply from Atlético Madrid.
- He explicitly denied that Barcelona instructed Álvarez to publicly declare a desire to leave Atlético and said the club dealt respectfully with Atlético during negotiations.
- Atlético publicly rejected the approach, accused Barcelona of tapping up the player and reportedly filed complaints with the RFEF and FIFA, leaving an institutional dispute that has not been closed.
- After Álvarez remained at Atlético, Barcelona pivoted its recruitment to players who fit Hansi Flick’s intensity‑first profile, completing signings including Anthony Gordon, Rodri, Gabriel Jesus and Karim Adeyemi.
- Álvarez has been reintegrated into Atlético’s squad after an earlier omission, and the transfer row has strained relations between the clubs with possible consequences for future dealings and regulatory scrutiny.