A blow to Barcelona: Atletico tell Alvarez there are two routes to salvation

Julian Alvarez

Will the player respond?

Julian Alvarez's future at Atletico Madrid is approaching a decisive point. Tension has erupted between the Argentine and the club's supporters after his recent World Cup comments, which angered a large section of the Spanish side's fanbase.

Atletico have laid out just two paths for Alvarez this transfer window, according to "Mundo Deportivo", a clear message to the player over where his future lies.

Option one: stay and honour his contract, which runs until 2030 and carries a huge release clause worth 490 million euros. That would mean rebuilding trust with supporters who feel frustrated and let down after he voiced a desire to leave.

Option two: accept one of the offers arriving from abroad, specifically England or France. Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain lead the pack of clubs able to afford the striker.

Barcelona, however, are a different matter. Atletico are slamming the door shut on any move to the Catalans, refusing to sell their Argentine forward to them under any circumstances, no matter how high the offer climbs.

The report claims Barcelona are unwilling to break the 100 million euro barrier. Atletico, for their part, insist Alvarez is not for sale at 100 million euros, nor even at 200 million.

Forced out, the former Manchester City man would have to swallow a move away from Spain, a scenario that never featured in his plans.

Griezmann provides the blueprint here. The France forward left Atletico for Barcelona before returning, then worked quietly to win back the fans until he became one of the club's most celebrated legends. Atletico are banking on the same story repeating itself.

The message to Alvarez is blunt. He has one final chance to repair his relationship with the supporters, either by staying and fighting on the pitch or by leaving Spain altogether. The Barcelona route has been scrubbed entirely from the Madrid club's thinking.