Julian Alvarez: Barcelona fined £503 over approach for Atletico Madrid forward

Barcelona have been fined 602 euros (£503) by the Spanish football association following a complaint by Atletico Madrid regarding an unauthorized approach for forward Julian Alvarez. Atletico accused their La Liga rivals of contacting the 26-year-old Argentina international without providing prior written notification. Atletico also lodged a complaint with FIFA, but world football's governing body declared it lacked jurisdiction over the matter.

Alvarez, who remains under contract with Atletico Madrid until June 2030, previously stated during the summer that he wished to fulfill his dream of playing for Barcelona. Following his winning goal against Deportivo La Coruna, Alvarez apologized to supporters for those comments, acknowledging it was a mistake. Alvarez originally joined Atletico from Manchester City in August 2024 for a fee worth up to £81.5m.