"Julian is a player under contract with Atletico Madrid and he is happy," Enrique Cerezo told Egyptian broadcaster Win Win when asked about the links to Catalonia. "No one from Barca has officially contacted us about signing him, and that's all there is to it."
Diego Simeone has also been vocal in his support of the forward, especially following a recent dip in scoring form. "Seriously? Are you seriously asking me that?" Simeone fired back at reporters questioning the Argentine's output. "The truth is that Julian Alvarez speaks for himself, because of the name he has, the authority he carries, and the career he’s built, right?"
The admiration for Alvarez extends into the Barcelona dressing room, where potential future teammates have already begun praising his ability. "He's a great player; for me, he's one of the best strikers in the world," Barca defender Ronald Araujo noted recently. "You can see the quality he has."
The high regard from his peers highlights why the Catalan club is so desperate to secure his signature. However, with Simeone maintaining total faith in his compatriot and Cerezo refusing to negotiate, the path to a transfer remains littered with obstacles that even a player of Alvarez's quality might struggle to bypass.