Hours before the World Cup final, the question of Alvarez's future continued to escalate. Atletico Madrid's CEO publicly closed the door to his departure, a move that angered the player.
According to Diario Sport, Alvarez is furious, believing the club has failed to honor a promise made to him months ago. The conflict stems from February when Gil Marin told the player that the club would facilitate his transfer if they received a sum similar to Barcelona's early summer offer. This promise was one of the reasons the Argentine international publicly stated his "dream" of joining Barcelona during the Argentine national team training camp, which Barcelona interpreted as the first step in putting pressure on Atletico Madrid.
However, Gil Marin later stated firmly: "I have no doubt that Atletico Madrid is the best place for Alvarez in the world, and he is the perfect center forward for the team." He also stated that this position had been communicated to the player, his representatives, and the Barcelona president.
Gil Marin's comments angered Alvarez, who believes the current rhetoric contradicts promises made months ago. In fact, it's possible that after the World Cup, Alvarez will again publicly demand a transfer and defend what he believes to be a pre-arranged agreement with the club.
Meanwhile, Barcelona has no intention of engaging in a public debate with Atletico Madrid, nor will it respond to Gil Marin's comments. Barcelona president Juan Laporta has made it clear in Barcelona, Dallas, and New York that the €100 million offer remains the only one available, is time-sensitive, and the club will not raise the price or engage in public negotiations.
Barcelona's management believes the next steps depend entirely on Atletico Madrid and Alvarez himself. If Atletico Madrid remains inflexible, the player himself will need to push for the deal. Despite Gil Marin's public refusal to release Alvarez, the door to the deal is not completely closed as long as he persists in pursuing his months-long dream.
