Madrid, July 17 (IANS) FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta continues to insist the club wants to sign Argentina international forward Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid.
Speaking on radio station Cadena Ser early on Friday morning, Laporta said Barcelona have made Atletico “a very significant offer”, but he also tried to pressure Atletico by saying the offer would not remain on the table indefinitely.
“If they’re willing to accept it, fantastic, but it won’t be open-ended. We have to make a decision. Whether we maintain the offer or not depends on how these last two weeks of July unfold,” he added.
Atletico maintain a firm public stance against bowing to what they view as an illegal approach for Alvarez from Barcelona, especially after the player himself commented in June that he wanted to leave, reports Xinhua.
“I try to be an honest person. I spoke with people at the club, and I think the best thing for everyone is a transfer,” Alvarez told a press conference on June 22, with Laporta using those words as leverage.
“The player has spoken out, and that’s why the matter is still open. It’s clear he wants a change of scenery, and we’re ready to welcome him. We’ll see how it all unfolds,” explained the Barcelona president, who insisted the club had other options. “If the Julian deal doesn’t materialize, we have alternatives,” said Laporta.
Atletico are angry at the tactics Barcelona have used to try to influence Alvarez and have repeatedly highlighted that the forward has a contract until 2030 and a release clause of 500 million euros.
Real Madrid recently had a 150-million-euro bid for Alvarez publicly rejected by Atletico, but the forward is thought to want a move to FC Barcelona.
The 26-year-old has scored 49 goals in 106 appearances for Atletico, but has endured two seasons in which the club has failed to win a title, finishing fourth in La Liga last season, as well as losing the Champions League semifinal to Arsenal and the Copa del Rey final to Real Sociedad.
–IANS
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