Julian Alvarez’s Atletico stand-off with Barcelona laid bare by official portrait

Julian Alvarez has appeared to show his frustration at Atletico de Madrid after the club effectively closed the door on a possible move to Barcelona, with a striking official photograph highlighting the Argentina forward’s changing mood.

Atletico have treated the situation as settled practically from the moment it emerged. Their position has been reinforced by two public appearances from chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin, who made it clear the club had no intention of reopening the issue.

Despite daily reports of Barcelona’s interest, Atletico’s stance has not shifted. Everyone who has spoken about the matter has delivered the same message, from former sporting director Mateu Alemany in private meetings to club president Enrique Cerezo and Gil Marin in public.

Head coach Diego Pablo Simeone has also used the same language. The consistent position is that Alvarez will not leave unless the conditions set out in his contract are met.

The 25-year-old’s agreement with Atletico runs until 2030 and contains a €490m release clause. Unless Barcelona are prepared to pay that figure, Alvarez is not expected to move.

Atletico have already stated that they will not negotiate with the Catalan club, citing the way the entire matter has been handled. At the Wanda Metropolitano, the dispute is understood to have gone beyond football and become personal.

According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, the background dates back to last season, before the clubs met in the Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League. Comments from Barcelona figures including Deco, Joan Laporta and Ronald Araujo are said to have unsettled both the player and Atletico.

The Madrid club was also particularly angered by the actions of people close to Alvarez. Atletico are understood to believe that Barcelona’s proposal was considerably inferior, both financially and in its conditions, to the package they offered to demonstrate their commitment to the forward.

With the possibility of a Barcelona deal now effectively closed, along with the prospect of moves to other European clubs, Alvarez appears to be facing the reality of remaining at Atletico. He has four years left on his contract, taking him through to 2030.

The forward has nonetheless appeared to make his feelings clear during the nine days he has spent training with the rest of the squad. He has been seen clean-shaven, a look not witnessed since his arrival in Spain, while his silence and sombre demeanour have attracted attention during each session.

An official image released on Wednesday, 19 August provided the clearest indication yet of his mood. Alvarez, nicknamed “The Spider”, posed with a notably serious expression, in sharp contrast to photographs from his first two seasons at Atletico, when he was regularly pictured smiling.

The contrast quickly drew attention on social media and was interpreted as another indication that the Argentina international is unhappy inside the Wanda Metropolitano.

One social media post accompanying the comparison read: “La evolucion de Julian Alvarez en la imagen oficial en el Atletico de Madrid.”

The dispute has also become a subject of wider discussion among supporters, with the matter being debated in greater depth on Kooora forums.