Atlético Madrid privately gave Julián Álvarez written permission to hold talks over a move to Barcelona, according to El Chiringuito TV. Journalist Jordi Jota says he has personally seen the document, a claim that jars with Atlético’s public line throughout the summer that Álvarez would not be sold to a direct La Liga rival.

It is important to be exact about what is being claimed. As detailed by Football España, the allegation is that Atlético authorised Álvarez to negotiate or discuss a transfer to Barcelona, not that the club had already agreed to sell him or that he had been given unconditional approval to join. That distinction is significant given how different those two positions are.

Álvarez has been a key figure in Atlético’s attack since arriving from Manchester City in 2024, registering 49 goals and 17 assists in 107 appearances across all competitions. He is still under contract at the Metropolitano until 2030, but his wish for a new challenge has shaped much of this summer’s transfer uncertainty, with Barcelona repeatedly mentioned as his preferred destination.

That context also explains why the earlier RFEF disciplinary issue regarding an alleged unauthorised approach from Barcelona now carries added significance. If Atlético did formally record written permission, it complicates the suggestion that any contact from Barça was improper from the beginning.

MARCA report that Barcelona’s offer of around €100 million for Álvarez did not meet Atlético’s valuation, although that figure has not been independently verified beyond MARCA’s reporting. Given the size of the sums involved, it is not difficult to understand why Atlético’s board would prefer any flexibility shown towards Barcelona to remain private rather than be made public.

Arsenal had also been trying to sign Álvarez before the transfer window shut, after missing out on Vinicius Júnior earlier in the same window. The Argentine had reportedly told manager Mikel Arteta that he did not want to join the Gunners, and with only a few hours remaining before the deadline, that deal appeared increasingly unlikely to go through.

Álvarez had meanwhile returned to Atlético training after missing several sessions due to illness, an otherwise routine detail but one that shows he remained, at least physically, part of Diego Simeone’s squad throughout the entire saga. Even so, none of this explains how Atlético’s public refusal to do business with Barcelona fits with the alleged written document that Jota says he has seen.

Jota has said he plans to present or prove the existence of the document on September 2, which is the key development to monitor. Even if that happens, written permission to negotiate is not the same as a completed transfer agreement, and the precise wording of any document would decide whether it truly contradicts Atlético’s public stance in a meaningful way.

Until that happens, this remains an attributed claim from a single broadcaster and journalist rather than established fact, and Football España will continue to follow whether Atlético’s account of events matches what Jota says he has seen.