According to Spanish media outlet Sport, Alvarez's transfer to Barcelona has been stalled, and he has missed Atletico Madrid training for two consecutive days. This has reminded people of numerous historical cases where players confronted clubs to force a transfer.

In the history of football transfers, many negotiations ultimately turn into a tug-of-war between players and clubs. Players want to leave, while the management refuses to let them go. Sometimes, the conflict escalates to the locker room and training ground.

The current situation is particularly noteworthy because Alvarez is experiencing the most tense period since joining Atletico Madrid in 2024. The Argentine striker wants to join Barcelona, but Atletico Madrid refuses to negotiate with Barcelona for his release.

Against this backdrop, Alvarez has missed training for the second consecutive day. Atletico Madrid officially attributed both absences to "physical discomfort," so it cannot yet be said that Alvarez has openly confronted the club. However, this scene inevitably brings to mind other superstars who have forced their way out of clubs.

In any case, the opposition between the two sides is already very clear. Laporta confirmed that Barcelona still wants to sign the Argentine striker, while Miguel Angel Gil Marin publicly made a strong statement, explicitly stating that Atletico Madrid will not facilitate Alvarez's move to Barcelona.

This scene is reminiscent of other similar conflicts: players taking a strong stance to push for a transfer. In recent years, several superstars have chosen to pressure the management when their clubs refused to release them. Some got their wish and left, some had to continue waiting, and some ultimately failed to achieve their goal. Below are some of the most notable cases and the precedents they set in football.

Mascherano, the Barcelona dream

In August 2010, Mascherano was clear that he wanted to leave Liverpool for Barcelona. The tug-of-war culminated when he refused to play in Liverpool's final two matches. At the time, Liverpool was negotiating his departure, and he did not participate in the games against Manchester City and Trabzonspor.

Roy Hodgson admitted that the Argentine player's mental state at the time was not suitable for playing, and later criticized his attitude. Years later, Mascherano himself admitted that he refused to play at the time to pressure Liverpool, because he believed the club had broken its promise to let him leave if a suitable offer was received.

This strategy ultimately worked. Barcelona signed him for approximately 22 million euros plus add-ons, and the midfielder's tough stance was key in pushing through a deal that Liverpool was initially unwilling to sanction.

Modric: A tug-of-war Levy couldn't win

This perhaps best illustrates the extent to which a player will take a strong stance when they believe their future is blocked. In 2012, Modric wanted to leave Tottenham Hotspur for Real Madrid. Daniel Levy refused to sell the Croatian player, so Modric chose to respond firmly. He stopped training and did not board Tottenham's flight to the United States for their pre-season tour.

Tottenham responded strongly, fining him the equivalent of two weeks' wages, approximately £80,000. Levy continued to insist on a high transfer fee. Modric eventually returned to the team, but his desire to leave remained unchanged.

Eventually, Real Madrid and Tottenham reached an agreement, and the Croatian midfielder joined Real Madrid. This strong confrontation was successful.

Dembele, another Barcelona precedent

In recent years, few cases have attracted as much attention as Dembele. In August 2017, Borussia Dortmund rejected Barcelona's offer for the French winger. The next day, Dembele did not appear for training. Borussia Dortmund deemed his absence unjustified, suspended him, and decided to exclude him from the squad.

Dembele's message was very clear: he wanted to join Barcelona and was prepared to push the matter to the very end.

The pressure ultimately worked. Borussia Dortmund accepted the deal, and Dembele joined Barcelona for a fixed transfer fee of 105 million euros plus add-ons.

Courtois: Two days without training… eventually joined Real Madrid

The case of Belgian goalkeeper Courtois is also striking because it has many similarities with the current situation. In August 2018, Courtois wanted to leave Chelsea to return to Madrid, and this time his destination was Real Madrid. After the World Cup in Russia, the goalkeeper was supposed to return to Chelsea for training, but despite receiving notice to return, he did not show up for two consecutive days.

Chelsea initiated a disciplinary investigation, and the English media even mentioned at the time that he could face a fine of over 200,000 euros. Nevertheless, Courtois had clearly expressed his desire to leave, and the result soon followed: a few days later, he became a Real Madrid player.

Bale, Levy's second misstep against Real Madrid

Another case also involved Real Madrid. Just one year after Modric's departure, Levy faced a similar problem, this time with Bale. At that time, Bale had grown into a world-class star at Tottenham.

Bale had clearly stated his desire to play for Real Madrid, while Tottenham tried to get the maximum transfer fee from the deal. Negotiations reached a stalemate. On August 27, 2013, at the height of the battle over his future, the Welsh player did not attend Tottenham's training.

Ultimately, Tottenham accepted his departure. Bale joined Real Madrid in 2013 for a transfer fee of approximately 101 million euros.

Diego Costa, Atletico Madrid's own case

If there is any precedent that is particularly familiar to Atletico Madrid, it is Diego Costa.

In the summer of 2017, after a complete breakdown with Antonio Conte, the striker decided to see through his confrontation with Chelsea. Costa stayed in Brazil and made it clear that he had no intention of returning to London until his future was decided. He wanted no other destination; Atletico Madrid was his only choice.

Chelsea demanded his return, and at one point even suggested he train with the reserves. The club also imposed financial penalties on him. However, Costa never backed down, even stating that he would rather not play for a year than accept any other destination. Ultimately, Chelsea conceded and reached a sale agreement with Atletico Madrid.

Koscielny: The captain who refused to board the plane

Pressure can also come from the player himself, who by all accounts should be the best representative of dressing room discipline.

This was the case with Koscielny in 2019. The French player was then Arsenal captain, still under contract, and wanted to return to his home country. When the English team was preparing to travel to the United States for a pre-season tour, Koscielny refused to travel with his teammates.

Arsenal publicly expressed disappointment and initiated disciplinary proceedings against the captain, but the conflict made it increasingly difficult for him to remain at the club. Weeks later, Koscielny successfully left, joining Bordeaux for a transfer fee of nearly 5 million euros.

Payet: When problems affect the locker room

Dimitri Payet's case was even more extreme, as the confrontation no longer only affected the player and the club.

In January 2017, the French player informed West Ham United that he no longer wanted to play for the team. His coach Slaven Bilic subsequently publicly confirmed this, and the English club at the time rejected Marseille's initial offers.

Payet was dropped from the first team and subsequently trained with the U23 squad. The tension eventually also affected the West Ham United locker room. West Ham United chairman David Sullivan later explained that even some teammates believed that the best outcome was for Payet to leave the club.

West Ham United eventually sold him to Marseille for approximately £25 million.

Gordon: Three days of missed training

Gordon also had a similar situation, though within the Premier League. In January 2023, during negotiations between Newcastle and Everton for his transfer, the Everton player missed training for three consecutive days.

The tense situation did not escalate further, and the player ultimately joined Newcastle. The total value of the deal could reach up to £45 million, and the process was not dragged out for too long. Everton understood the player's wishes and saw that negotiations had reached a stalemate. After the player's absence, the club avoided further tension by completing the sale.

Suarez: An example that resistance doesn't always work

Although the aforementioned cases ultimately ended with both parties reaching an agreement and avoiding further escalation of conflict, there are also precedents showing that players are not always winners.

In 2013, Suarez wanted to leave Liverpool and join Arsenal. The striker believed he could leave after the team failed to qualify for the Champions League, and Arsenal had even made an offer of over £40 million.

Liverpool refused to sell. Suarez threatened to formally submit a transfer request, and Brendan Rodgers then excluded him from first-team training.

Liverpool stood firm. The Uruguayan had to back down and stayed at Anfield for another season. He played, scored goals, fought for the Premier League title, and left a year later. Although his ultimate destination was Barcelona.

A few years later, a similar situation occurred between Coutinho and Liverpool. In August 2017, the Brazilian player wanted to join Barcelona and formally submitted a transfer request after Liverpool publicly stated their unwillingness to sell him. The Brazilian did not completely break ranks publicly, but he was absent for some time due to physical issues. Six months later, in January 2018, Coutinho finally joined Barcelona.

Mahrez's situation was also very similar; he had to wait until the summer to complete his transfer, realizing that forcing the issue doesn't always immediately push through a deal. In January 2018, the Algerian player submitted a transfer request, hoping to join Manchester City. Leicester City rejected the offers received, and the deal ultimately fell through.

Mahrez subsequently missed training for several consecutive days. The pressure did not work, and the Algerian player had to play the second half of the season with the team. In the summer, he finally joined Guardiola's team.

In addition to them, hundreds of players under contract wanted to leave and succeeded. This also includes Rojo, who refused to train with Sporting CP to join Manchester United; Antony, who openly pushed to leave Ajax amidst strong interest from Manchester United and refused to play; and Wesley Fofana, who missed Leicester City's training after Chelsea made an offer.

All these cases illustrate that while a player's wishes usually come true, it's not always the club that gives in. Jorge Valdano, speaking a few days ago about the "Alvarez incident," quoted Julio Cortázar: "When a man says he's leaving, he's already gone."

Most of the time, things are resolved to avoid further tension between players and clubs or fans, but not always. Regardless of whether he resists or not, the current situation between the Argentine player and the Madrid club does not seem easy to resolve.

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