Laporta Confirms Barcelona's Offer for Julian Alvarez
July 3, 2026 · Global
Joan Laporta, FC Barcelona president, confirmed ongoing negotiations with Atletico Madrid for Julian Alvarez, emphasizing the player's desire to join Barcelona and the club's commitment to their offer despite Atletico's rejection.
Following his inauguration ceremony, FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta held a press conference where he confirmed talks with Atletico Madrid regarding Julian Alvarez. The Argentinian striker has long been a target for Barcelona and has emerged as the club's main target for this summer as a replacement for Robert Lewandowski.
An initial offer from the La Liga champions was rejected by Los Rojiblancos, who also lodged a complaint with FIFA against Barcelona, while insisting that Alvarez was not for sale. This is despite the fact that the 26-year-old striker has expressed his desire to leave the club and pursue his dreams.
Laporta confirmed that he had spoken privately with Atletico Madrid CEO, Miguel Angel Gil Marin, and that Barcelona had sent him another offer that would remain on the table, but not indefinitely. "I have spoken personally with Atletico Madrid and explained the situation. Deco has made an offer for a certain amount for this player," he said.
Continuing his statement, Laporta stated that Alvarez had been of interest to them even before he joined Atletico, and that the player had long wanted to move to Barcelona. "We knew the player wanted to join Barça for a long time, even before he was at City. We made this offer with all due respect to Atletico; they have great respect from me, both Cerezo and Gil Marin," said the re-elected Barcelona president.
He also claimed that Atletico refused to sell Alvarez because they had no alternative for him. “They had the offer and told us they had no plans to sell because they had no alternative, and I told them that if they had an alternative, the offer would stand.”
Reiterating his stance and the club's interest, he added: "We will stay as long as we deem necessary, but we will not be under the control of what Atletico decides on this. They know our intentions, and if they want to continue, we will be very happy. They have great respect for us, and we have a good relationship both institutionally and personally."
Regarding Atletico Madrid's recent actions such as posts on social media against Barcelona, he said: "There are some recent reactions that I would like to consider carefully, but the situation is this: an offer is on the table, and if we consider it, we are ready to keep it; it can be done. What is certain now is that they are saying they are not selling because they have no alternative. I hope that if they have an alternative, Atletico Madrid will consider Barça's offer. This offer is not open indefinitely; we will continue to update our position on this."
On the complaints made to FIFA and the RFEF by the Rojiblancos, he added: "We don't know what their strategy is based on; we have done many deals with Atletico without any problems. This one is perhaps a little more sensitive. This is a respectful approach; we made significant efforts with an offer that we will hold until we have a chance to consider it. I hope they will reconsider and accept the offer. If not, we'll see what we can do. As for going to UEFA and FIFA, I don't know what it's all about."