‘They reacted inappropriately’ – Joan Laporta takes aim at Atletico after Barcelona miss out on Julian Alvarez

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has criticized Atletico Madrid's behavior during the summer transfer window after the Catalan club missed out on signing forward Julian Alvarez. Laporta stated that Barcelona initiated standard club-to-club communication and that he personally spoke with Atletico's Gil Marín. However, Atletico Madrid reportedly refused to sanction a permanent transfer to Barcelona, despite Alvarez expressing that he only wanted to join the Camp Nou side.

According to Laporta, Atletico Madrid claimed they could not sell Alvarez because they had no alternative, but then openly stated they would sell him to any club except Barcelona. Following the failed transfer pursuit, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick moved winger Raphinha into a central striker role. The Brazilian has since excelled in the position, scoring 11 goals across all competitions.