Alvarez left the Atletico Madrid stadium alone with his head down, booed by home fans, becoming the most striking image in the biggest transfer story of this summer, according to The Athletic.

Atletico Madrid drew 2-2 with Villarreal in their opening home La Liga match of the new season on Sunday. After the game, Diego Simeone's players gathered in the area behind the goal in the South Stand to salute the fans.

All players except Alvarez took part. Due to some fans' displeasure over his public statements expressing a desire to join Barcelona, the club advised Alvarez not to participate, and he accepted that advice.

The anger of Atletico Madrid fans aligned with the club's firm stance since late May, when Barcelona claimed to have made a €100 million offer (£85.7 million, $116.4 million) for Alvarez—a claim that Atletico Madrid denied receiving.

If that incident was unusual, Atletico Madrid's response to Barcelona's reported bid was even more extraordinary. Atletico Madrid posted a series of absurd transfer news on social media, including swapping Lamine Yamal for Alvarez, with conditions also including Bad Bunny concert tickets and "a bag of sunflower seeds."

Alvarez joined Atletico Madrid from Manchester City in August 2024 for a total transfer fee of €95 million. His contract with the Spanish club runs until 2030.

Throughout the summer, Atletico Madrid insisted they would not sell Alvarez to Barcelona. Even when Alvarez expressed his desire to leave in an interview with U.S. sports media during the World Cup period, Atletico Madrid's position remained unchanged.

Instead, Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin made three significant statements in recent months, each time reaffirming that the 26-year-old would not leave, while criticizing Barcelona. Atletico Madrid filed a complaint with the Spanish Football Federation against Barcelona in late July.

In early June, before the World Cup began, Real Madrid also claimed to have made a €150 million offer for Alvarez. Days earlier, Florentino Perez had promised a €150 million bid for a top player during his successful campaign to be reelected Real Madrid president. Atletico Madrid did not view this as a serious attempt to sign Alvarez and subsequently posted more angry and sarcastic content on social media.

This once again highlighted Atletico Madrid's standing in Spanish football. From within the club, the incident further reinforced a view Atletico Madrid had previously expressed: they are the "victim" in this situation and must fight back.

In 15 years with Diego Simeone as manager, Atletico Madrid has won 8 titles, including 2 La Liga championships and 2 Europa League titles, while reaching two Champions League finals.

This has helped Atletico Madrid significantly surpass traditional Spanish powerhouses like Valencia, Athletic Bilbao, and Sevilla. However, compared to the two Clásico giants of La Liga, Barcelona and Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid remains considerably smaller. Barcelona and Real Madrid's revenue is at least double that of Atletico Madrid, they have more fans, and their clubs wield greater influence in football.

In this context, Atletico Madrid wants to be seen as a more respected rival, while Real Madrid and Barcelona will always emphasize their advantages when they get the chance.

Gil Marin and Atletico Madrid's statements in the Alvarez case exemplify this perfectly. Gil Marin believes he is defending the club's interests and fighting what he calls predatory behavior.

In an interview with EFE in late June, Gil Marin said: "Barcelona doesn't respect us, they think they can push us aside, that we are weak or stupid. They tried to convince everyone they wanted to push through a deal that was really impossible to complete. Last year, they did something very similar with Nico Williams and Athletic Bilbao."

On Wednesday, Barcelona president Joan Laporta, in an interview with the club's official media, insisted that Barcelona had treated Atletico Madrid with "respect" and the interest in Alvarez "met appropriate standards."

The 64-year-old president stated that Barcelona had not abandoned pursuit of the striker, as Atletico Madrid seemed "willing to sell the player to other clubs." He was alluding to Arsenal.

As The Athletic previously reported, Arsenal contacted Atletico Madrid and Alvarez's representatives last week about a potential deal, but Arsenal was unsure whether Alvarez wanted to move to England.

Atletico Madrid then issued a statement responding to Laporta's interview, saying the likelihood of Alvarez moving to Barcelona was "zero."

The statement also read: "This is not about money, it's about dignity. A campaign full of lies and half-truths has been created. Only Atletico Madrid has had to pay the price for all of this.

"Alvarez has been portrayed as a victim, but the only victims are us. Our economic and social image has been damaged."

On Thursday, Atletico Madrid issued another statement, saying the club's board had "unanimously expressed" "absolute support" for the decision not to negotiate with Barcelona.

The statement added: "Atletico Madrid believes that our players will understand this decision and continue to focus on helping the club achieve its objectives."

The club's financial power is now considerably stronger than a few years ago, which could be one reason for Atletico Madrid's firm stance. In November 2025, U.S. asset management company Apollo Global Management invested in Atletico Madrid.

Meanwhile, Alvarez did not participate in training on Wednesday and Thursday this week. Sources within Atletico Madrid, who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to comment, said Alvarez's absence from training was due to illness.

With less than a week before the transfer window closes, no party involved has an easy option.

For Atletico Madrid, keeping a player who clearly wants to leave carries obvious risks. Can Alvarez reintegrate into the squad? Will fan sentiment change? Is Alvarez himself still fully committed?

For Barcelona, all signs suggest they have no alternative for the No. 9 position, which was previously identified as an absolute priority. Following the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, if they cannot sign Alvarez, Barcelona's attacking options could be severely weakened.

If Alvarez is seeking comfort or support, he might look back at some former Atletico Madrid players who pursued transfers.

Some sources indicate that Alvarez's relationships with many people at the club, including his compatriots and manager Simeone, have been damaged by this situation. However, others believe time will heal the wounds and cite the experience of Griezmann in the Spanish capital as an example.

Griezmann was once an Atletico Madrid hero, but his public flirtations with Barcelona in the summer of 2018, followed by his transfer to Barcelona a year later, angered many Atletico Madrid fans. At the time, Barcelona activated his €120 million release clause.

The French player never fully settled at Camp Nou and returned to Civitas Metropolitano on loan in 2021. He then made greater efforts to win back the support of teammates and fans he had disappointed, including participating in a documentary produced by the club. Griezmann ultimately became Atletico Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer and, at age 35, joined MLS side Orlando City at the end of last season. Before leaving, he received the fans' appreciation.

Given Alvarez's serious and introverted nature, it remains to be seen whether he can win back Atletico Madrid's support as Griezmann did. The fans' anger from last weekend is unlikely to quickly change his desire to leave. Atletico Madrid's resolve also appears unmoved.

With only days left before the transfer window closes on Tuesday, Barcelona is running out of time. For Atletico Madrid, keeping Alvarez would be considered a victory, but right now, it's hard to see any true winner in this story.

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