Deco denies Barcelona influence on Julian Alvarez transfer request

Barcelona sporting director Deco addressed claims that the club influenced Julian Alvarez to publicly demand a departure from Atletico Madrid. Atletico officials suspected that Barcelona encouraged the player to make his transfer intentions known during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Deco rejected the accusation, maintaining that Barcelona approached the Spanish club respectfully when enquiring about a potential deal. He confirmed that Atletico declined to sell the forward from the outset of negotiations. While the two clubs remain in dispute regarding the timeline and motives behind the public declaration, Barcelona maintains a stated interest in the forward. The exact sequence of events surrounding the player’s desire to leave remains subject to conflicting accounts from the involved parties.

• 8:00 AMYahoo Sports — Key reason why Barcelona sporting director addressed Julian Alvarez transfer rumours