Atletico Madrid refuse Barcelona talks over Julian Alvarez

Atletico Madrid chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin says the club will not negotiate with Barcelona over Julian Alvarez “under any circumstances”, despite the Argentina forward reportedly wanting a move to the Catalan club.

Atletico remain determined to keep Alvarez, while Barcelona president Joan Laporta said on Wednesday that his club remains interested and that its offer is still available.

Gil Marin criticised the situation in an interview with Movistar, saying: “Julian Alvarez is in a very bad state, there are people who have taken it upon themselves to deceive and confuse him.”

He added: “I feel very sorry, because we have been working with him for some time. He is a wonderful person, a great professional and an outstanding player, but at the moment he is completely confused.”

The Atletico executive said Alvarez was “currently going through extremely difficult circumstances on a personal and sporting level”.

Gil Marin also reacted strongly to Laporta’s latest comments, saying: “The statements made by Barcelona president Joan Laporta yesterday, in which he confirmed that Barcelona are still interested in the player and that their offer remains on the table, disgust us even more.”

He continued: “All we can do is reaffirm that we will not negotiate with Barcelona under any circumstances.”

Gil Marin said he had the backing of Atletico’s shareholders and directors before making the club’s position clear.

“I am the person primarily responsible for running the club, and I have the support of the people who work with me, from the shareholders to the directors,” he said. “The only certain and decisive decision is that we will not negotiate with Barcelona under any circumstances.”

He added that Atletico would consider Alvarez’s future if the player concluded that remaining at the club and living in the Spanish capital was not right for him.

“If Julian reaches the conclusion that continuing at Atletico Madrid and living in the Spanish capital are incompatible for him, we will look for an alternative, but it will never be Barcelona,” said Gil Marin.

Alvarez missed Atletico training on Wednesday and Thursday because of illness.

The Madrid club have opened talks with Arsenal, but Alvarez rejected a possible move to the Gunners and wants to join Barcelona only, according to the report.

Atletico began the season with a 2-0 victory over Malaga in their opening La Liga match. They then drew 2-2 with Villarreal in their second league fixture.

Atletico’s Champions League schedule

The Champions League draw has placed Atletico Madrid against Bayern Munich at the Wanda Metropolitano and Liverpool at Anfield.

They will also face Manchester United at the Wanda Metropolitano, PSV Eindhoven at the Philips Stadion, Fenerbahce at the Wanda Metropolitano, Bodø/Glimt at Aspmyra Stadion, Viking at the Wanda Metropolitano and Stuttgart at MHP Arena.

The dispute over Alvarez’s future comes as Atletico maintain a firm public stance against dealing with Barcelona, even though the player is said to favour that destination. Gil Marin’s comments underline that the club would rather seek another solution than enter negotiations with Laporta’s side.