Barcelona Says It Made Club-to-Club Offer for Julián Álvarez Before Manchester City Move

FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta said the club submitted a club-to-club offer for Julián Álvarez and placed the player on its radar before he joined Manchester City. Laporta stated that Álvarez never mentioned Barcelona when discussing his ambition to play for a major club. He added that the club did not pressure the player into any public position on the matter.

The comments came after social media posts that Laporta said predated Álvarez's remarks. Laporta expressed respect for Atlético Madrid while questioning the logic of its current stance on the transfer. “This isn't the first time we've done a deal with Atlético, but perhaps this one is more sensitive,” Laporta said.

He noted that Barcelona continues to pursue the deal despite efforts by others to generate controversy. @FabrizioRomano reported the statements.