Atletico Madrid has publicly addressed what they term a “smear campaign” directed at the club and their star forward, Julian Alvarez. Amidst ongoing speculation about Alvarez’s future, Los Colchoneros issued a series of statements vehemently denying any official bid from Barcelona for the player.
Earlier reports on Friday suggested that Barcelona had submitted a โฌ100 million offer for Alvarez, a claim initially denied to Madrid-based media outlets and subsequently on social media. The Argentina international has been widely identified as Barcelona’s primary target to succeed Robert Lewandowski.
Atletico Madrid Responds to Barcelona Transfer Rumors
In a notable social media campaign consisting of six tweets, Atletico Madrid parodied the typical transfer-related posts often seen from journalists like Fabrizio Romano. They humorously announced the signings of Lamine Yamal, Pedri, and Raphinha, even humorously stating that two of these deals were secured with tickets to see Bad Bunny. Another graphic depicted Barcelona as a disguised lion, suggesting a lack of genuine threat.
Atletico’s statements concluded by asserting that “Atletico Madrid would never do something like that,” accusing Barcelona’s “propaganda machine” of fabricating stories. They also pointedly remarked on Barcelona’s alleged reliance on referee endorsements and political influence to register players, referencing the registration of Dani Olmo and the ongoing Negreira case.
Report: Julian Alvarez’s Agent to Meet with Atletico Madrid
According to reports from Indykaila, Alvarez’s agent, Fernando Hidalgo, is planning to meet with Atletico Madrid. The objective of this meeting is to de-escalate the tensions between the clubs and to facilitate a “move that benefits everyone.” This action is seen as an effort to mitigate the risk of the current club friction impacting any potential transfer to Barcelona.
Both Julian Alvarez and Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone have remained guarded about the striker’s future in recent months, although Alvarez has expressed contentment with his life in Madrid. It remains to be seen whether Barcelona will make a formal pursuit of the player.
