Barcelona issued new Julian Alvarez transfer warning as Atletico Madrid president refuses to budge on €500m price tag

The saga surrounding Alvarez has taken another turn as Atletico Madrid have reinforced their "not for sale" stance. Barcelona have reportedly made the former Man City man their priority target to lead the line under Flick, but they have been met with a wall of resistance from the Metropolitano boardroom. While Barca are readying a package worth over €135 million to tempt their La Liga rivals, Atletico president Enrique Cerezo has shifted all the pressure back onto the Catalan club.

Addressing the relentless links between his star striker and the Blaugrana, Cerezo was blunt about what it would take for a deal to happen. "Julian is an Atletico Madrid player. Whoever wants him can come and look at the contract (the release clause), and if they’re interested, they’ll sign him; if not, they won’t. It seems like this is the story of the summer; you all know exactly how things stand. Julian is an Atletico Madrid player, and I believe he will remain an Atletico Madrid player," the president declared via El Desmarque.

By pointing directly to the €500m buyout clause, Cerezo is effectively shutting down any hope Barcelona had of negotiating a lower, structured fee. Even though Barca hope a €135m guaranteed sum plus bonuses would move the needle, Atletico are currently showing zero interest in coming to the table for anything less than the legally mandated release figure.

The transfer battle has become increasingly bitter between the two Spanish heavyweights. Atletico recently took the unusual step of mocking Barcelona's interest by posting parody signings of several Barca stars such as Lamine Yamal and Pedri. Accompanying the stunt was a statement accusing the Catalan side of using a "propaganda machine" to unsettle Alvarez ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

Atletico's frustration stems from what they perceive as a relentless campaign of "calculated leaks" designed to lower the player's market value. The Madrid club’s official statement was scathing, telling fans not to "believe everything you see, especially if it’s related to Barca." This public hostility suggests that negotiations, should they ever begin, would be conducted in a toxic atmosphere.

To make matters worse for Barcelona, they are not the only ones monitoring the situation. In a stunning development, Real Madrid saw a monumental €150m proposal turned down by Atletico recently. Florentino Perez had promised a mystery Galactico following his re-election, and it appears Alvarez was the primary target for the Bernabeu outfit.

Real Madrid's failed bid confirms that even a club-record offer is not enough to satisfy Atletico's demands at this stage. With both El Clasico rivals desperate to land the 26-year-old, the price tag is unlikely to drop anytime soon. Barcelona is now forced to either walk away from their primary target or somehow finance a record-breaking deal despite continued economic scrutiny.