Atlético Madrid's CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín gave a strong statement against FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta amid the Catalan club's attempts to sign Julian Alvarez.
“I simply heard the president (Laporta) say their offer was not infinite in time. Our response is that our response is indeed infinite; we do not want to transfer him. We did not accept the €100 million offer, nor will we accept €150 million or €200 million,” Gil Marín stressed.
In the same interview, he added that he knows the rival club's environment well and is not offended by their media actions: “They act in front of the media and fans as part of their own circus, so it does not offend me.” He also said he personally asked Laporta to stop pursuing the transfer, explaining that Alvarez is not for sale. Despite this, the club insists on maintaining their stance to fuel the media and social game.
“They know perfectly well that Julian Alvarez will not play for Barcelona next season. The worst thing is maintaining this discourse in front of their fans and the player himself,” he added.
Barcelona representatives confirmed to Mundo Deportivo they will not engage in the dispute and prefer to stay silent, awaiting the outcome of the World Cup where Alvarez will compete alongside eight Barcelona players for Argentina.
Additionally, the player's agent Fernando Hidalgo chose not to respond following Gil Marín’s criticism, who said he believed the agent was poorly advised since the season ended, but was confident in the player’s performance and behaviour.
This mutual silence and waiting emphasize the tension between the clubs in the transfer market and highlight the importance of Barcelona’s decisions after the World Cup concludes.
