Joan Laporta arrived in Dallas to support the Spanish national team in the World Cup semifinal. He also addressed the potential signing of Atlético Madrid forward Julián Álvarez, who scored a decisive goal to put Argentina into the semifinals.
The club president stated that an official offer has been made, but it is not "open-ended" and will be valid only for a limited time: "We are not going to dance to anyone else’s tune. We set the rhythm here. We made an offer, but it is not a sine die or infinite offer. We will see how long it stands. We have already expressed the will to sign the player requested by the coach and the technical staff. We like him very much, and I think he is an outstanding player."
Laporta separately confirmed Raphinha’s key importance for Barcelona: "We have no interest in Raphinha leaving the club. On the contrary, he is a key player for our team. It’s a pity he couldn’t perform at full strength in the decisive part of the season."
Regarding relations with Atlético Madrid, Laporta explained: "I understand we have a very good relationship with them. There was some confusion about the offer we made, which I clarified. We have not pressured more. I only said that until they have an alternative, the offer was valid. It hasn’t evolved beyond that for now."
Additionally, Laporta expressed regret for Barcelona forward Jules Koundé, who is in France’s national team, but did not advance to the final, and highlighted the World Cup performance of other club players: "Lamine is doing a great World Cup and has already been chosen as MVP in a couple of matches. Not only him: Pedri, Olmo, and Cubarsí as well."
When asked about Ferran Torres, the president did not comment in detail but noted that he is playing well in the World Cup.
Financially, Barcelona has positioned an official offer for Julián Álvarez while maintaining strategic control over negotiations and retaining key players like Raphinha.
