Atletico Madrid president claims 'Joan Laporta knows where Julian Alvarez will play next season' after Barcelona set transfer deadline

Atletico president Cerezo has once again spoken out regarding the future of Alvarez amid intense interest from Catalan giants Barcelona. The Argentina international forward has publicly submitted a transfer request during the ongoing 2026 World Cup campaign. Despite the player's stance, Atletico remain absolutely adamant about keeping the striker under Diego Simeone's stewardship, dismissing any rumours of a summer switch to their La Liga rivals.

Barcelona president Laporta had previously insisted that the offer submitted by his club to sign the Argentine frontman will not remain valid indefinitely. Laporta openly stated: "We’re not going to dance to anyone’s tune. We set the pace here. We’ve made an offer, but it’s not an open-ended offer, it’s not an unlimited offer.

"We’ll see how long it remains valid. We’ve already expressed our intention to sign the player the coach and the technical staff have requested. We like him a lot and I think he’s a fantastic player."

He also added: "I understand we have a very good relationship with them. There was some confusion regarding the offer we made, and I clarified it. We haven’t put any more pressure on them. I simply stated that, from the moment they have an alternative, this offer remains valid. And that’s where it ended. It hasn’t progressed any further, for the time being."

Responding to the ultimatum, Cerezo delivered a firm response to the media and reinforced the club's ownership status over the player, who remains under contract until June 2030. "Joan Laporta is a good friend, he’s a great president, and he knows very well, as do all of you, where Julian Alvarez will be playing next year," Cerezo revealed.

When questioned on whether the club hierarchy would be willing to forgive the forward's actions that triggered the speculation, he added: "In this life, we all make mistakes, everything can be forgiven. I insist that he is a player of Atletico de Madrid."

Clarity over the future of the former Manchester City player is expected to emerge only after his international duties draw to a close. Alvarez is currently preparing to represent Argentina as they square off against Spain in Sunday's World Cup final. The showpiece event in North America is predicted to be a fiercely contested battle before the forward returns to sort out his long-term future at the club level.