Atletico Madrid Takes a Jibe at Barcelona Over Julian Alvarez Pursuit
Atletico Madrid delivered a humorous response to Barcelona's pursuit of Julian Alvarez, mocking their rivals with a playful social media campaign. The club reacted to reports of Barcelona's interest in the Argentina forward, who has reportedly agreed to terms with the La Liga giants, by proposing a tongue-in-cheek trade involving Lamine Yamal. According to Guillem Balague of BBC Sport, Barcelona is expected to offer 90 million euros (£77.9 million) for Alvarez, but Atletico seems poised to reject this bid. In a series of viral posts, Atletico offered a light-hearted trade proposal: 4 tickets for a Bad Bunny concert An annual subscription to ABC A bag of sunflower seeds They humorously awaited a response from Barcelona, suggesting they were ready to prepare an announcement. The posts also included offers for other players, with Pedri’s offer increasing to 6 concert tickets and a cheeky proposal involving Raphinha that referenced a previous gaffe by Atletico president Enrique Cerezo. The posts quickly gained traction, reaching over 55 million accounts on social media. Atletico concluded their campaign with a serious note, addressing a smear campaign against one of their players and referring to ongoing investigations into Barcelona's alleged financial misconduct involving former referee vice-president Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira. They emphasized their commitment to respect and values in football, contrasting their approach with Barcelona’s alleged tactics. This isn't the first controversy between the two clubs; Atletico previously accused Barcelona of disrespect during their pursuit of Antoine Griezmann in 2019. Alvarez, who has scored 20 goals this season, joined Atletico Madrid in 2024 from Manchester City for a deal worth up to £81.5 million.
Source: BBC Sport - 2026-05-29