Key reason why Barcelona sporting director addressed Julian Alvarez transfer rumours

Key reason why Barcelona sporting director addressed Julian Alvarez transfer rumours Barcelona’s interest in Julian Alvarez created plenty of tension with Atletico Madrid, with the Spanish club convinced that Barça had played a role in the Argentine making his desire to leave public. That suspicion became particularly significant after Alvarez admitted during the 2026 FIFA World Cup that he wanted to leave Atletico.  With Barcelona known to admire the forward , there was speculation that the player had been encouraged to take that position in order to strengthen Barça’s hand in any negotiations. Barcelona sporting director Deco has since firmly rejected that suggestion , stating, “Barça did not tell Julian to publicly express his desire to leave Atletico.” Deco’s response to Atletico’s suspicions Deco did not stop at denying that Barcelona had pushed Alvarez to make his intentions public. He also explained how Barça approached Atletico when exploring a potential deal. Deco recently talked about Julian Alvarez in detail. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images) “We spoke to them respectfully. They told us from the outset that they didn’t want to sell him,” he said. Now, according to Fabrizio Romano , Deco’s comments were specifically aimed at addressing Atletico’s long-held suspicion that Barcelona were behind Alvarez’s public stance. Romano explained that Atletico had always felt Barça were pushing the Argentine to go public with his desire to leave. Deco’s interview was therefore Barcelona’s answer to that accusation. Notably, there is a clear divide between the two sides. Atletico had their suspicions, while Barcelona insist they behaved correctly and did not ask the player to force the issue. Barcelona wanted Alvarez Romano also stressed that the dispute does not change Barcelona’s underlying interest in Alvarez. Julian Alvarez was keen on Barcelona move this summer. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images) The journalist interprets Deco’s comments as evidence that the Argentine remained a player Barcelona strongly coveted, while maintaining that Alvarez himself had a genuine desire to join the Catalan club. For what it is worth, the precise sequence of events may never be fully established unless Alvarez himself eventually explains what happened behind the scenes.  For now, the two positions are clear: Atletico suspected Barcelona were encouraging the forward to push for an exit, while Deco insists that was not the case. What is less disputed is Barça’s admiration for Alvarez. Whether that interest can lead to a future move is another question, but the relationship between Barcelona and Atletico has already been strained.