Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez returned to his team's training on Monday, amid his continued desire to move to Barcelona, at a time when a legal precedent has emerged that could open a judicial path for him to leave the Madrid club.
According to the Spanish newspaper "AS", Álvarez began his preparation for the new season after the end of his holiday. He underwent medical tests and took part in individual training to regain his physical sharpness, with the start of the 2026-2027 season approaching.
The Argentine striker had intended to meet Diego Simeone or Gil Marín today to reaffirm his desire to join Barcelona. Instead, he will have to wait. Both the coach and the club's chief executive were absent from the team's facilities.
Atlético's position will not shift one inch at the anticipated meeting, the newspaper revealed. When the player asks them to negotiate his move to Barcelona, officials will respond with a single phrase: "Apologise and start working."
Given the Madrid club's insistence on its stance, the deal currently looks hugely complicated.
Legal expert Miguel Galán has recalled a precedent that could hand Julián Álvarez a judicial route out of the Metropolitano. The "Zubiaurre case" dates back to 2005, when Ibai Zubiaurre bought his "freedom card" from Real Sociedad for half a million euros in order to move for free to Athletic Bilbao.
Real Sociedad took the case to court, arguing that the small print in the player's contract allowed them to extend his deal unilaterally and raise the value of his release clause to 30 million euros.
Social Court No. 1 in San Sebastián deemed a release clause of 30 million euros excessive and disproportionate, and reduced it to five million euros. The Supreme Court upheld the value of the compensation.
The proceedings dragged on until 2008, and Zubiaurre was also unable to play for more than a year because of the case. Galán believes the precedent "confirms that the social courts can judicially review a contract termination clause if it is disproportionate and restricts professional freedom."
Speaking on the "X" platform, the president of the National Centre for Training Football Coaches and sports law expert said: "Let everyone draw their own conclusions."
Toni Freixa, the former official and former candidate for the Barcelona presidency, took the same stance on the same social network. He said: "The release clause in Julián's contract, because of the disproportion between its value and his salary and his market value, is legally void because it constitutes a circumvention of the law. And any judge in the social courts will declare this. If Álvarez wants to take on this fight, he will win it by a large margin."
For now, the debate over Álvarez's future rages on, even if the player has been anything but unclear about his intentions. Barcelona are ready to make a significant financial effort to sign him. Atlético, meanwhile, remain firm and unwilling to back down.