Ankara: Atletico Madrid announced on Wednesday that there is a "zero percent chance" Argentinian forward Julian Alvarez will be sold to La Liga rivals Barcelona. This statement comes amid a growing transfer dispute that has strained relations between the two clubs.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Madrid club has accused Barcelona and Alvarez's representatives of causing economic and social harm to Atletico during the ongoing transfer saga. The club emphasized that Alvarez is not the victim in this situation, stating, "The player is being portrayed as a victim, but the only victim in the Julian case is us. 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."

Atletico further claimed that the narrative surrounding the transfer has been clouded by "many lies and half-truths." They expressed that the club is suffering the consequences of this situation.

Meanwhile, Barcelona President Joan Laporta confirmed the club's continued interest in acquiring Alvarez, urging Atletico to consider their offer. In a video statement, Laporta said, "We are very interested in buying Julian Alvarez. We would like our offer to be accepted," and noted that the offer would remain open until the transfer window closes.

Earlier in the transfer window, Barcelona's bid of approximately £100 million ($116 million) was reportedly rejected by Atletico, who are now insisting on the activation of Alvarez's £500 million release clause. Additionally, Atletico reportedly turned down a £150 million offer from Real Madrid earlier this summer.

Alvarez's future at Atletico seems uncertain as he was excluded from the squad for their opening 2-0 league victory against Malaga. Head coach Diego Simeone attributed his absence to the player's need to regain fitness after a late return from his post-World Cup break. Although Alvarez appeared in a subsequent 2-2 draw with Villarreal, he faced boos from fans both during warm-up and after entering the game in the 66th minute.

Most recently, Alvarez missed Atletico's training session due to illness, according to the club. The forward, who joined Atletico from Manchester City in 2024 for a reported fee of £75 million plus up to £20 million in add-ons, signed a contract extending until 2030. Since joining, Alvarez has scored 49 goals and provided 17 assists across 107 appearances for Atletico.