"Not even 200 million": Atlético Madrid slams door shut on Julián Álvarez's move to Barcelona:

Atlético Madrid has decisively shut down speculation surrounding a potential transfer of Julián Álvarez to Barcelona. Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, the club's CEO, was unequivocal in stating that the Argentine forward's departure is not in the club's plans.

In a video released on Atlético Madrid's official 'X' account, Gil Marín made the club's stance perfectly clear. "My opinion is clear, and we have already communicated it to the player, his agent, and the Barça president," he began, adding unequivocally: "I have no doubt that Atlético is the ideal place in the world for Julián, and that he is the perfect striker for Atlético Madrid."

Gil Marín took the opportunity to send a direct message to Barcelona president Joan Laporta. "I recently heard statements from the president, in which he said that the offer presented to Atlético Madrid was not infinite. The only possible response is that our position, on the other hand, is infinite: we do not want to transfer him. We did not accept an offer of 100 million euros, nor will we accept one of 150 or 200 million," he concluded.

Earlier, President Enrique Cerezo had already addressed the topic, referring to his Barcelona counterpart. "Joan Laporta is a good friend, a great president, and he knows very well, like all of you, where Julián Álvarez will play next year," he stated. Regarding the player's interest in Barça, Cerezo downplayed it: "I think in this life we all make mistakes, don't we? He had a slip-up, like me with Julián López. In this life, apart from a few things you know, everything is forgivable."

Given this firm stance, Barcelona's only path to securing the forward would be to pay his 500 million euro release clause...