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Atletico Madrid have taken a firm stand and launched a strong attack on Barcelona, making it clear that next season Julian Alvarez will not be wearing the Blaugrana shirt.

There has been no attempt to soften the message. Atletico Madrid are enraged and have directly accused Barcelona, saying the Catalan club have spent months trying to pressure them into selling Argentina forward Julian Alvarez. “The player is being made into a victim, but the only victim in the Julian case is us,” they said in a statement. “They have harmed us economically and socially. There is a 0% chance of selling him to Barca. This situation is not about money, it is about dignity. There is a 0% chance of selling him to Barca.”

They then added: “There is a campaign full of lies and half-truths. The only one paying for this is Atletico.”

According to reports, Atletico Madrid will continue defending their interests and will update the complaint they have already filed so that it includes everything Barcelona and Julian Alvarez’s agent, Fernando Hidalgo, have allegedly been doing. The club believe Hidalgo has been working for months to force the striker’s departure. The former Manchester City player rejected a contract extension in March that would have made him the highest-paid player in the squad, increasing his salary from €7 million to €10 million. He also did not accept the deadline set by the club’s hierarchy, which required an offer of €150 million, excluding commissions, to arrive by 20 June. That bid never reached Atletico’s offices, and the club have now decided they have had enough in the Julian case.

Atletico Madrid will also continue to support the forward through their medical services, as he has been left emotionally affected by the situation that has developed. At the same time, the club believe it is unacceptable to “play” with matters as sensitive as mental health and issues such as anxiety or depression.

Barcelona, however, have not eased their position. Club president Joan Laporta again spoke today through the club’s official channels about Julian Alvarez: “We are very interested in the player and we have made an offer with great respect for Atletico Madrid, trusting that it will be accepted. We know that, if they were available to discuss the player, we would be willing to buy him starting from the offer we have already made, which is valid until the final day of the transfer window.”