According to "Mundo Deportivo," Álvarez's situation at Atlético Madrid has become highly complicated, likely long before now. Relations between Atlético Madrid's management and the player's agent, Fernando Hidalgo, have reached a breaking point.

While it cannot be said that the two parties have completely severed ties, Atlético believes the veteran agent has been the driving force behind all the controversy from the start. Atlético stated: "Julián is not receiving the best advice." Many within Atlético share this view.

A strategy that began in May 2025

Atlético recalls that even before the situation fully erupted, the agent had already acted publicly, escalating matters. His appearance in a media interview deeply displeased Atlético's management.

Notably, this situation occurred in May 2025, and everything stemmed from there. Now, more than a year and a half later, this storm has been building for quite some time. Therefore, Atlético is dissatisfied with the advice the "number 19" is receiving.

At that time, Hidalgo made seemingly unprompted comments, saying Julián liked Barcelona and that since Messi was his idol, "few Argentines wouldn't have feelings for Barcelona." In the same interview, he also thanked players like Cubarsí for praising his client.

Since then, Atlético has seen the hand of Julián's agent in multiple media campaigns surrounding Barcelona.

Atlético was surprised by the repeated public reporting of meetings between the agent and Barcelona officials. It is well known in football that if one wishes to meet privately without fanfare, it is not difficult to arrange. However, these meetings were publicly disclosed, including one on May 27 in Barcelona and another in early August this year in Madrid.

Promises and conditions for a Barcelona transfer

People close to the player have spoken of various promises. One was a salary increase promise, which was discussed but ultimately rejected. Another was an alleged permission for the player to leave and public communication about it. Atlético denies any such promise exists. Even if it did, given that the destination would be a direct competitor, it is difficult to believe Atlético would agree to this request. If such a promise truly existed, this information may not have been mentioned in relevant negotiations.

In any case, even if Atlético agreed to release the player, the club must protect its own interests and demand what it considers a fair transfer fee. Julián's transfer fee to Atlético was 90 million euros, including fixed and variable payments. He is now among the world's top five centre-forwards. If Barcelona could pay 80 million euros for Gordon, what is a player with a 490 million euro release clause worth?

The Catalan side called this offer "reasonable" or "attractive," but Madrid considered it almost insulting due to unsatisfactory payment terms and the offer's value.

For this reason, Atlético believes Julián and his family are not fully informed about the situation. They fail to understand that the club Julián wants to join cannot afford the fees required for his departure. Furthermore, if the deal went through on these terms, Atlético would also be in serious trouble, as the transfer fee received would not be sufficient to find an adequate replacement. In this context, Atlético understands the behind-the-scenes actions that greatly displeased the club: attempting to achieve objectives through means that cannot be achieved through direct, reasonable, and healthy negotiations—the latter of which might have brought Gil Marín to the negotiating table.

Therefore, Álvarez's agent Fernando Hidalgo's latest response adds a new chapter to his conflict with Atlético. Previously, Atlético CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín reiterated in an interview with EFE that the Argentine forward would stay, and hours later, Hidalgo responded to these statements on social media.

The player's agent wrote in response to Gil Marín's statements: "Never ask a liar why he lies. To explain that, he can only lie again."

Previously, Atlético's management had emphasized: "Atlético Madrid, like all great clubs, needs to count on excellent players to build a team, and Julián is one of those players, and he is also an excellent professional. We must rely on our values, compete with players from our own academy and the best foreign players we can bring." Gil Marín spoke about the Argentine forward's future in an interview with EFE.

He also stated: "We will help Julián, continue to care for him, and let him reach his full potential, because we need him to continue being among Europe's best teams. We must acknowledge that in recent months, Julián has not had the best career advisors around him."

He added: "We cannot allow other clubs and their allied media to dictate what we should do, influence our sporting strategy, let alone disrespect us."

Adding fuel to the fire while trying to extinguish it

Gil Marín's statements were generally measured in tone, aimed at turning a new page with Julián and hoping Atlético supporters would back him and let him live in peace in Madrid. But Hidalgo's pointed response surprised Atlético.

Beyond the player's own happiness, no one doubts that Julián can dream of playing for Barcelona. However, Atlético points out that he should have considered this when signing a contract until 2030 with a 490 million euro release clause. Atlético also believes significant personal interest underlies this matter.

While Hidalgo represents other players, Julián is nearly his most important—almost the only major player on his agency roster. That is, any potential move, especially this transfer, would benefit him. Public information currently shows Hidalgo also represents Cristian Pavón, a 30-year-old winger playing for Grêmio, and Ariel Holan, the current Cerro Porteño coach. In the past, he also represented players such as Diego Milito, Claudio López, and Guillermo Burdisso.

Atlético remains completely calm

In any case, Atlético remains completely calm about everything happening. They believe this entire storm stems from the same source, so they are unbothered. In Atlético's view, Gil Marín's third public statement this summer is more about helping a player who needs to repair his relationship with supporters than responding to those still fueling this storm. Atlético believes this is merely the aftermath of a story that has already ended.

In fact, Atlético has already filed a formal complaint, and the Spanish Football Federation's investigation process has begun. Atlético accuses Barcelona of negotiating with a player still under contract during a protected period. If the investigation continues and ultimately results in a penalty, Barcelona could face severe sanctions and may even be prohibited from registering players for several seasons. If Julián takes wrong steps under his agent's advice, he too could face serious problems that would affect his career.

Traduzido por IA.

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