Barcelona sporting director Deco has rejected the suggestion that the club pushed Julián Álvarez into publicly asking to leave Atlético Madrid, insisting the Argentine's decision was his own.
The clarification comes after a summer transfer saga that left Álvarez stuck at Atlético despite making clear that he wanted a move to Barcelona.
Deco says Barça made a formal offer, received no response and ultimately accepted that Atlético were unwilling to sell.
But his latest comments reveal something more important about Barcelona's position: the club wants responsibility for Álvarez's public stance to remain with the player himself.
Deco: Barcelona Did Not Tell Álvarez What to Say
Speaking to RAC1, Deco was unequivocal when asked about the controversy surrounding Álvarez's desire to leave Atlético.
“We never told him to say that he wanted to leave Atlético,” Deco said.
The distinction matters because Álvarez had publicly confirmed during the summer that he had spoken with Atlético and believed a transfer was the best outcome.
After Argentina's World Cup match against Austria in June, the forward said he wanted a transfer so he could fulfil his dream.
Barcelona were widely understood to be the destination he wanted.
But Deco insists that Barça did not orchestrate that public declaration.
“It was his own decision,” is effectively the message from Barcelona's sporting director.
Barcelona Made the Offer — Atlético Said No
Deco also provided Barcelona's version of what happened once the club decided to pursue Álvarez.
According to the sporting director, Barça submitted a formal offer but Atlético did not respond.
Barcelona's proposal was structured over three seasons, rather than the six-year payment structure Atlético had publicly criticised, according to Deco.
The offer was ultimately irrelevant.
Atlético did not want to sell their striker to Barcelona.
The Argentine therefore remained in Madrid after the transfer window closed, despite having made his preference clear.
That has left Atlético facing the much harder part of the saga: rebuilding a relationship that was badly damaged during the failed transfer.
Álvarez Is Now Living With the Consequences
The transfer did not disappear simply because the deadline passed.
Álvarez remains an Atlético player, but his public comments created tension with sections of the club's support.
He was booed during his appearance against Villarreal, while Atlético have had to manage the fallout from a player who had openly expressed his desire to leave.
Yet the football itself may provide the quickest route out of the controversy.
Álvarez recently started Atlético's Champions League opener against Liverpool and assisted Marcos Llorente in a strong individual performance, despite the team's 2-1 defeat at Anfield.
That performance offered a reminder of why Atlético were so reluctant to lose him.
For Barcelona, however, the immediate focus has shifted.
The club moved on with its squad planning rather than continuing to wait for Atlético to change its position.
Deco Wants the Saga to End
There is another revealing part of Deco's comments.
He suggested that the situation became unnecessarily complicated once it entered the public domain.
Barcelona's sporting director argued that leaks and media noise make transfers more difficult and recalled his own experience as a player when he wanted to move to Barcelona but was asked by Porto president Pinto da Costa to stay for another year.
That experience appears to inform how Deco views the Álvarez situation.
From Barcelona's perspective, the club made its attempt.
Atlético refused to sell.
Álvarez wanted the move.
And now the transfer window has closed.
The sporting director's message is therefore relatively simple: Barcelona did not manufacture Álvarez's desire to leave, and the club does not believe there is much more to explain.
The January Question Is Still There
The saga may be over for now, but that does not necessarily mean it is finished.
Álvarez remains Atlético's player and has already shown signs that he can still be important to Simeone's team.
At the same time, Barcelona's interest was genuine enough for Deco to confirm that the club made a formal proposal.
That leaves an obvious question hanging over the season.
What happens if Álvarez does not fully repair his relationship with Atlético?
The forward's performances will now matter enormously.
If he rediscovers his best form, Atlético can potentially turn a summer of tension into a forgotten chapter.
If the relationship continues to deteriorate, Barcelona could once again become part of the conversation.
For now, Deco has drawn Barcelona's boundary clearly.
The club wanted Julián Álvarez, but according to its sporting director, it never needed to tell him to say so publicly.
Fan Debate
⚽ Goal: Julián Álvarez can rebuild his Atlético relationship through his performances.
🔥 Fire: Barcelona were right to walk away once Atlético refused to negotiate seriously.
😲 Shock: Álvarez could still become a Barcelona transfer target again if the Atlético situation deteriorates.
👍 Like: Deco was right to clarify Barcelona's position rather than allow the summer saga to continue.
💬 Comment: Do you think Julián Álvarez will still be a Barcelona target in January?
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!