Real Madrid Accused Of ‘Torpedoing’ FC Barcelona’s Alvarez Pursuit

BusinessSportsMoneyReal Madrid Accused Of ‘Torpedoing’ FC Barcelona’s Alvarez PursuitByTom Sanderson,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Tom Sanderson has been primarily based in Barcelona since 2019.Follow AuthorJun 10, 2026, 08:43am EDTReal Madrid has been accused of "torpedoing" arch rival FC Barcelona's pursuit of Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez.Getty ImagesReal Madrid has been accused of “torpedoing” arch rival FC Barcelona's pursuit of Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez.Madrid chief Florentino Perez made a promise to lauch a $175 million (€150 million) bid for an unnamed player if re-elected as president by members on Sunday.After beating Enrique Riquelme at the polls, Perez kept his word by tabling an offer for Alvarez for said amount Tuesday evening.Real Madrid confirmed this move via an official statement, while also revealing that Atleti knocked back the bid and pointed to Alvarez’s $577 million (€500 million) release clause.Madrid are of course unlikely to trigger the clause or have that kind of money knocking around in any event. Yet Perez could’ve known exactly what he was doing here.Perez has been accused of ‘torpedoing’ FC Barcelona’s pursuitBy outlets such as Catalan newspaper SPORT, Perez stands accused of attempting to not only use the Alvarez bid as a political weapon, but also scupper the Blaugana.MORE FOR YOUMadrid and Perez aren’t believed to have really wanted Alvarez or be serious about acquiring him. Yet the bid shows that Perez has kept his word to members that voted for him, plus Los Blancos fans worldwide, amid announcements of Jose Mourinho incoming as new head team coach.Furthermore, though, the offer puts Barça and Atleti in a tricky spot. Barça can’t afford Real Madrid’s fee for Alvarez in times of attempting to return to the 1:1 rule under Financial Fair Play (FFP) limits, and Atleti now can’t accept a lower sum such as the $116 million (€100 million)...