Atletico Madrid have decided to drag LaLiga rivals Barcelona before FIFA over their pursuit of Julian Alvarez.
This comes days after Alvarez publicly declared he wants to leave the Wanda Metropolitano this summer.
The Argentina striker specifically said he is keen to join his “dream” club, which is believed to be Barca.
Atletico CEO, Miguel Angel Gil Marin, has now made it clear they won’t sell Alvarez especially to Barcelona.
“It wasn’t the right day to make such statements; it was a day for [Lionel] Messi and the Argentine national team, not Julian,” Gil Marin told EFE.
“Julian has a dream [to sign elsewhere], but we Atletico fans have dreams, too. It is true that he has spoken to us, but it is also true that he is fully aware of our position because we have been very clear: Atleti do not want to transfer him.”
Real Madrid have already seen a €150m bid rejected by Atleti for the 26-year-old.