Barcelona sporting director Deco has opened up about the club’s failed move for Julián Álvarez, revealing that a €100m offer structured over three seasons was tabled before Atlético Madrid shut the door. The comments frame the pursuit as a past attempt rather than a live transfer chase, with Barcelona ultimately moving on to internal attacking solutions.
- Barcelona tabled a formal offer for Julián Álvarez during an unsuccessful attempt to sign the forward.
- Atlético Madrid’s strict no-sale stance stopped the move from progressing any further.
- Barcelona have since turned to internal attacking solutions after missing out on the Argentine.
Julián Álvarez Was Barcelona’s Unsuccessful Target
Julián Álvarez was the marquee forward Barcelona tried to sign, but Deco has made it clear that the pursuit is firmly in the past rather than an active negotiation. Barcelona’s sporting director said the club did make a formal approach, only for it to go nowhere once Atlético made their position known.
Deco’s account was straightforward. “We made an offer” and “we spoke to them in a respectful and clear way” formed the essence of his explanation, with Barcelona’s proposal reportedly worth €100m and structured over three seasons. He also noted that there was no positive response to the approach, denying that Barcelona had instructed Álvarez to publicly express a desire to leave Atlético.
Atlético Madrid’s No-Sale Stance Ended the Approach
Atlético Madrid’s position, as described by Deco, was decisive from the start. Barcelona were told that Atlético “did not want to sell the player”, effectively ending any chance of the move developing further.
That hard line matched Atlético’s wider public stance. The club made it clear there would be no negotiation over an Álvarez transfer to Barcelona, stating that the Catalan side had not met their standards for professional, ethical and respectful negotiations. They insisted they expected Álvarez to stay focused on helping the team. Deco described respectful contact, while Atlético publicly took the opposite view.
Barcelona’s Forward Plans After the Failed Move
Deco stated that Barcelona do not currently need a conventional goalscorer because Raphinha is performing exceptionally well within the manager’s vision, with the Brazilian already boasting eight goals in Barcelona’s first five matches of the season.
Deco also argued that replacing Robert Lewandowski directly is practically impossible, which is why Ferran Torres has been presented as the clearest internal solution through the middle. Alongside that, he pointed to a broader group of attacking options rather than a single like-for-like successor.
Gabriel Jesus was described as a forward who links up well with team-mates and boasts great movement, while Hamza Abdelkarim was framed as a future No. 9 and a more classic penalty-box option. Combined with Raphinha’s sparkling form, Deco’s message was clear: Barcelona do not want their football to depend entirely on one striker.
