Atlético Madrid Responds to Barcelona's Julián Álvarez Rumors

Atlético Madrid have gone on the offensive, accusing Barcelona of orchestrating a “smear campaign” and spreading “fake news” around a potential move for striker Julián Álvarez.

Fresh from sealing a £69m deal for Antony Gordon, Barcelona have been heavily linked with another major signing, with reports in Spain suggesting a big-money bid was being readied for Álvarez. Atlético’s response was blunt: he is not for sale, and they value the 26-year-old as high as £130m.

That was the serious part. What followed was anything but.

Social Media Turns Into a Battlefield

As rumours of an imminent Barcelona offer swirled on social media, Atlético chose ridicule over restraint. The club’s official channels mocked up parody images of Barcelona stars Lamine Yamal, Pedri and Raphinha wearing Atlético shirts, complete with spoof transfer details.

One post proposed a tongue‑in‑cheek package for Yamal: Bad Bunny concert tickets, an annual subscription, and a bag of sunflower seeds. Another showed former Leeds winger Raphinha in red and white, alongside the pointed warning: “Don’t believe everything you see, especially if it’s related to Barca.”

The message was clear. Atlético believe the noise around Álvarez is being manufactured, and they are tired of it.

From Jokes to Accusations

The tone then hardened. In a further post, Atlético referenced Barcelona sporting director Deco, denying with heavy irony that they had tried to lure him to their scouting team in the Brazilian market.

“Finally, we want to take this opportunity to categorically deny that we have made an offer to the sporting director of FC Barcelona to join our scouting team in the Brazilian market,” the club wrote.

The sarcasm quickly gave way to a direct attack.

“No, Atlético de Madrid would never do something like that. However, in recent months, we’ve been suffering a smear campaign against one of our players.

“Leaked information with ulterior motives, ‘fake news,’ constant disrespect, the culé version of the propaganda machine inventing little stories, calls before direct matchups.”

This was not just a denial. It was an accusation that Barcelona, or those close to the club, are deliberately unsettling Álvarez and trying to shape the narrative ahead of key fixtures.

Barcelona declined to comment when approached by Sky Sports News. The Spanish FA has also been asked for its view.

A Striker at the Centre of a Storm

Álvarez’s profile explains the intensity. The Argentine has hit 20 goals in all competitions across 49 games this season, a return that places him firmly among Europe’s most valuable forwards.

Atlético insist he is central to their plans. The £130m valuation functions less as an invitation and more as a warning: if you come, come with something extraordinary — or don’t come at all.

The summer window opens on June 15 and runs to September 1. With Barcelona already making a statement by landing Gordon, the next move in this battle will say plenty about how far they are willing to push, and how far Atlético are prepared to go to defend their star.