Atletico Madrid say 'zero percent chance' Alvarez will be sold to Barcelona: Report

Atletico Madrid said Wednesday there was a "zero percent chance" that Argentinian forward Julian Alvarez would be sold to La Liga rivals Barcelona, according to Spanish sports newspaper Marca.

The Madrid club accused Barcelona and Alvarez's representatives of damaging Atletico economically and socially during a transfer dispute that has led to a breakdown in relations between the two clubs.

"The player is being portrayed as a victim, but the only victim in the Julian case is us," Atletico told Marca. "They have harmed us economically and socially. There is a zero percent chance of selling him to Barca. This situation is not about money, it is about dignity."

The club said a campaign based on "many lies and half-truths" had developed around the transfer saga.

"The only one paying for this is Atletico," it added.

Barcelona President Joan Laporta confirmed Wednesday that the reigning Spanish champions are still interested in Alvarez and urged Atletico to accept their offer.

"We are very interested in buying Julian Alvarez. We would like our offer to be accepted," Laporta said in a video published by Barcelona.

He added that the offer would remain valid until the transfer window closes.

Barcelona reportedly had an offer of around €100 million ($116 million) rejected earlier in the transfer window. Atletico are now demanding that Alvarez's €500 million release clause be paid, according to Marca.

Atletico also reportedly rejected a €150 million offer from Real Madrid earlier in the summer.

Alvarez was left out of Atletico's squad for their opening 2-0 league victory against Malaga, with head coach Diego Simeone saying the forward was still regaining fitness after returning late from his post-World Cup break.

The 26-year-old returned for Sunday's 2-2 draw with Villarreal but was booed while warming up and again after coming off the bench in the 66th minute.

The Argentinian did not take part in Atletico's latest training session, with the club saying his absence was due to illness.

Alvarez joined Atletico from Manchester City in 2024 for an undisclosed fee, reported to be €75 million plus up to €20 million in add-ons. He signed a contract until 2030.

He has recorded 49 goals and 17 assists in 107 appearances for Atletico.