sports
Atletico Madrid Responds to Barcelona Bid for Julian Alvarez
Atletico Madrid issued a social media statement after Barcelona submitted an offer for striker Julian Alvarez. The club said it sent a fax containing concert tickets, a newspaper subscription, and sunflower seeds.
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Atletico Madrid released a social media post responding to a reported bid from FC Barcelona for forward Julian Alvarez. The post listed four tickets to a Bad Bunny concert, an annual subscription to newspaper ABC, and a bag of sunflower seeds as the club's counter-offer.
The statement followed reports that Barcelona had submitted an initial proposal of €100 million ($116.7 million) with no add-ons or player exchanges. Atletico Madrid stated it was not happy with developments over the previous 24 hours.
Madrid signed Alvarez from Manchester City for £81.5 million (€94 million) in 2024. The player remains under contract until 2030, giving the club no obligation to accept the €100 million offer. Reports indicated Barcelona may return with a revised proposal. Atletico Madrid has signaled it could seek a higher fee, potentially around €130 million.
Barcelona has also advanced toward signing Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon for a reported €80 million. The move would begin in the 2026/2027 season. If completed, the Gordon transfer would coincide with the expiration of Robert Lewandowski's contract on June 30 and the likely return of Marcus Rashford to Manchester United.
