Atletico Madrid have officially announced that they plan to make a complaint to FIFA about Barcelona’s transfer approach for Julian Alvarez.
Barca are being accused of holding talks with Alvarez whilst he’s under contract with Atletico during what the Spanish giants describe as a “protected period”.
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The Argentina international is a man in demand at the moment after some superb form during his time in La Liga, and it perhaps makes sense that Barcelona have been keen on him.
Still, see below as Atletico CEO Gil Marin is quoted by journalist Fabrizio Romano as saying: “Our responsibility is to defend the interests of Atlético and that is why we are going to file a complaint with FIFA against Barcelona for negotiating with a player under an active contract during the protected period.”
???? OFFICIAL: Atlético Madrid to file complaint against Barcelona to FIFA for Julián Álvarez deal.
Club CEO Gil Marin: “Our responsibility is to defend the interests of Atlético and that is why we are going to file a complaint with FIFA against Barcelona for negotiating with… pic.twitter.com/YqwKaPKiiJ
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 23, 2026
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What does all this mean for Julian Alvarez to Arsenal transfer?
It’s not yet clear what this means for Alvarez’s future, as journalist Isaan Khan has today also posted about Arsenal’s interest in the former Manchester City forward.
See below for Khan’s post on X about Arsenal taking a detailed look at Alvarez and emphatically deciding that he’s ideal for Mikel Arteta’s side…
? Julian Alvarez to Arsenal update –
Earlier in the year, Arsenal staff were tasked with gathering data on Alvarez to assess whether he would fit the team’s required profile.That included his injury record, physiological numbers and playing output. The result was emphatic:…
— Isaan Khan (@IsaanKhan_) June 23, 2026
Still, it seems Atletico are not keen on selling their star player, and especially not to Barcelona.
What this means for Arsenal, we’ll have to wait and see, with Alvarez himself seemingly keen on getting his move to the Nou Camp if possible.
But given the bad blood between Atletico and Barca, it’s perhaps hard to see them doing a deal, which could allow Arsenal back in the race.
The Gunners could do with a world class striker like this in their side, but it might also be worth considering if he’s the best option to go for given that he hasn’t made them his personal priority.
Arsenal notably signed Viktor Gyokeres as a major addition up front last summer, but the jury is still out on the Sweden international, with Alvarez looking like more of an all-rounder who could be the perfect upgrade to take this team closer to Champions League glory.