Confirmed: Atletico Madrid close the door on Julian Alvarez to Barcelona with official statement

The Julian Alvarez transfer saga may have officially come to an end now, with Atletico Madrid landing the final blow in Barcelona's hopes of making a late move for the Argentine international. The Spanish club have released a statement in which the club explicitly mention they won't be negotiating with Barcelona regarding the sale of Alvarez. Atletico shut the door on Barcelona In the statement, Atletico's board of directors made clear their unanimous backing for the club's stance, citing a lack of respect from Barcelona as the reason for their refusal to negotiate. "The members of Atlético Madrid's Board of Directors have unanimously expressed their full support for the club's decision not to negotiate the transfer of Julián Álvarez to FC Barcelona," the statement read. The club went on to explain their reasoning in greater detail, insisting they remain open to conducting business the right way while adding that they will not conduct business with Barcelona. "Atlético Madrid is open to the usual negotiations that take place in the transfer market, but always in an ethical and professional manner and with respect between clubs. "We fully support the position previously communicated by the club that FC Barcelona have not met these requirements and, as a result, there have been no negotiations, nor will there be any, with them regarding the transfer of Julián Álvarez." Atletico's frustration with Barcelona appears to have run deep. According to journalist David Medina of MARCA, the Madrid club have branded the management of Fernando Hidalgo and Joan Laporta as 'ridiculous'. Summing up their view of the entire situation to MARCA, Atletico stated: "Some people can deceive many people for a long time, but it is impossible to deceive everyone all the time." A message to Alvarez Atletico also addressed the player himself, expressing confidence that Alvarez will accept the decision and remain fully committed to the cause. Alvarez won't be joining Barcelona this summer. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) "Atlético Madrid are convinced that their player will understand the decision and focus on working in the best possible way to help the club achieve its objectives, as he has already done during the two seasons in which he has defended the club's colours," the statement concluded. The declaration effectively brings an end to one of the summer's most protracted sagas, with Barcelona having spent weeks pursuing the forward. For Barcelona, the news confirms what they had already begun to suspect, and the club now appear set to activate their plan B . That will likely mean sticking with their current attacking options rather than rushing into a signing, with Hansi Flick having already expressed his satisfaction with the resources at his disposal.