Arsenal offered dream Alvarez deal as Atletico demand €500m from 'dishonest' Barcelona

Arsenal offered dream deal to sign Alvarez as Atletico Madrid rule out Barcelona transfer Atletico Madrid have reacted strongly to ’s public plea to leave the club by declaring there is ‘no amount of money’ that could convince them to sell their star man to . Alvarez stunned Atletico on Monday night by , amid a desire to move to rivals Barcelona. Barca have publicly admitted their admiration for Alvarez in recent months and , much to the fury of Atletico. Atletico and they responded to the situation with a statement by insisting that the only way they could sign Alvarez is to pay his €500 million release clause. “We’ve seen how Barcelona operates in the past,” Atletico told AS in a statement. “There is no amount Barcelona can pay for Julián, and he will not be transferred to Barcelona. Either they pay the €500 million release clause or nothing.” Atletico will now file a formal complaint to FIFA about Barcelona’s conduct, adding: "Everyone knows they’re a dishonest club. But they've run into a club that won't let them get away with it." Arsenal given Alvarez opportunity as Atletico refuse to entertain Barcelona talks Although previous reports had revealed Alvarez’s desire to move, the Argentina international had not publicly pushed for a move and had insisted he would be respectful of Atletico’s stance. However, speculation surrounding Alvarez’s future has only intensified in recent weeks, While Real Madrid’s offer was largely believed to be a political move on behalf of president Florentino Perez following his re-election, it strengthened Atletico’s negotiating power, having previously turned down offers closer to €100m from Barca. With Alvarez having four years remaining on his contract, Atletico are under no pressure to sell and, having already endured a similar situation in 2019 for Antione Griezmann, there is no appetite to negotiate with Barcelona despite the player’s wishes. A report from Spanish outlet COPE has revealed that Atletico would prefer to take advantage of interest from and sell Alvarez to the Premier League side in exchange for and ’40, 50 or 60 million euros.’ However, , while Alvarez is not thought to be keen on a return to the Premier League after his stint with Manchester City, suggesting that this transfer saga will drag on through the summer.