Real Madrid’s first major move after Florentino Perez secured another term as club president has ended in rejection, with Atletico Madrid refusing a substantial bid for Julian Alvarez. Perez had indicated before the election that a โGalacticoโ signing would be pursued if he retained the presidency. Two days after winning the election, that commitment materialised in the form of a 150 million euro (1650.71 crore) offer for the Argentina international.
The proposal was directed at their arch-rival, where Alvarez has become a central figure since arriving from Manchester City. Despite the size of the offer, Atletico had little interest in entering negotiations and instead pointed to the release clause attached to the forward’s contract. The Los Blancos confirmed the approach in an official statement released after a board meeting.
โFollowing the meeting of the board of directors held today, it has made an offer of 150 million euros to Club Atletico de Madrid for the federative rights of the player Julian Alvarez. After reviewing and evaluating the offer, Club Atletico de Madrid has expressed its gratitude for the proposal, made within the framework of the good relations between both clubs, and has rejected it, referring to the player’s release clause,โ Madridโs statement read.
Atletico takes dig at Real Madrid
Atletico’s response quickly moved beyond a formal rejection. The club reposted Real Madrid’s statement on X and accompanied it with several laughing emojis. The exchange escalated further when Atletico issued another message directed at their city rivals.
โYou must have confused education with gratitude, but to leave no doubt: we don’t thank you for anything. We neither study nor consider any offer for Julian. How could we not get along, when you make us laugh even more than Barcelona does,โ Atletico posted.
The online sparring did not end there. Atletico followed up with another pointed remark. โP.S. Taking advantage of the good relationship with your new president, let’s see if you stop ‘stealing’ players from our Academy. Thanks a lot, @realmadrid!โ
Alvarezโs impact in Atletico
Notably, Alvarez joined Atletico in 2024 in a deal worth ยฃ81.5 million after leaving Manchester City. The 26-year-old enjoyed an impressive first full campaign with the Spanish club, scoring 20 goals in 49 appearances. His contributions helped Atletico finish fourth in La Liga while also advancing to the semi-finals of the Champions League. For now, Atletico’s stance remains firm, with the striker’s 500 million euro (5502.35 crore) release clause standing as a significant barrier to any potential transfer.
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