Deco, Barcelona's sporting director, has broken his silence on the failed pursuit of Julián Álvarez, insisting the Catalan club conducted negotiations with complete professionalism throughout the summer transfer window. Speaking to RAC 1's El Món programme, the Blaugrana executive provided fresh insight into why the deal to bring the Atlético Madrid forward to Camp Nou ultimately collapsed.
Barcelona tabled a substantial offer worth €100 million, structured across three years, for the Argentine international. Despite the considerable financial commitment, Deco revealed that Atlético Madrid simply refused to negotiate. "We submitted an offer worth €100 million, to be paid over three years, but we received no response. From that moment on, it was mainly talked about in the press," Deco explained, drawing a clear line between Barcelona's private efforts and the subsequent media speculation.
Direct Dialogue with Atlético
The Barcelona director stressed that contact with the Madrid-based rivals remained cordial throughout discussions. "Jan has already explained that he spoke to them a few times, always respectfully. They told us they did not want to sell the player," Deco noted, referencing Hansi Flick's involvement in preliminary conversations. This account underscores Barcelona's measured approach despite their desperation to bolster their attacking options.
Deco firmly dismissed claims that Barcelona had orchestrated Álvarez's public statements requesting a transfer at the Club World Cup. "We did not ask the player to say at the Club World Cup that he wanted to leave Atlético," he declared, rejecting suggestions of improper conduct. The Argentine striker, who has scored 28 goals across 135 appearances for Atlético since his 2022 arrival, remains at the Spanish capital club as transfer deadline passed.
When pressed on the possibility of reviving negotiations, Deco adopted a cautious stance. "Every moment must be assessed for what it is. There is a lot of tension in the press, but there is nothing else to add," he said, signalling that Barcelona's focus has shifted to other priorities. With La Liga and Champions League campaigns underway, the club's attention now rests on maximizing Flick's promising early tenure rather than dwelling on unfinished business in the transfer market.
