Laporta Insists Barcelona Have ‘Moral Obligation’ to Land Alvarez Despite Atletico’s Resistance

Joan Laporta believes Barcelona have a moral duty to sign Julian Alvarez this summer, even as Atletico Madrid double down on their refusal to sell the Argentine forward to a direct La Liga rival. According to a report from sports media, the Barcelona president views the situation as a personal battle he thrives on, describing Atletico’s threat to report the club to FIFA as “tedious” and something that “doesn’t even faze” him. Instead, Laporta is said to be willing to “get down and dirty” to force through a deal for his top transfer target. Alvarez made a public plea to leave Atletico last month, and has since ignored interest from Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, making clear his desire to only join Barcelona. The Catalan giants have already seen multiple offers worth around €100 million rejected by Atletico, who insist they will only let Alvarez go if his €500 million release clause is triggered. Speaking this week, Laporta confirmed the situation: “Deco made an offer of a certain amount of money for Álvarez, who has wanted to join us since he was at City. I spoke with [Atletico CEO] Miguel Ángel Gil Marín. He told me they were not planning to let him go, but the offer is firm and we stand by it. It remains on the table and the deal could still go through, but the offer is not open-ended. Atlético said no because they didn't have a replacement. If they get one, we will see.” With four years still left on his contract, Alvarez’s relationship with Atletico and manager Diego Simeone is said to be at breaking point. Atletico now face a tough call as the summer window nears its close – hold onto a disgruntled star or eventually negotiate with a persistent Barcelona.