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Alsharq Tribune-M.Essam
Atletico Madrid has rejected a 150 million euro (173 million US dollars) bid from Real Madrid for Argentina international striker Julian Alvarez, the club informed on Tuesday.
"Real Madrid C.F. announces that, following the meeting of the Board of Directors held today, it has made an offer of 150 million euros to Club Atletico de Madrid for the federative rights of the player Julian Alvarez.
"After reviewing and evaluating the offer, Club Atletico de Madrid has expressed its gratitude for the proposal, made within the framework of the good relations between both clubs, and has rejected it, referring to the player's release clause," explained the Real Madrid website.
The offer comes just two days after Florentino Perez was re-elected Real Madrid president with one of his promises to spend 150 million euros on a star signing this summer, although most sources in Spain believed Perez had been referring to Bayern Munich's French international winger Michael Olise.
Atletico Madrid's immediate response was to publish a message on social media of five 'laughing face' emojis above the Real Madrid statement, followed by a stinging response.
"Official statement with our clarifications regarding the official statement from our neighbors," read Atletico's reply, which said Real Madrid "must have mistaken politeness with gratitude, but to leave no doubt: we don't thank you for anything."
"We're neither considering nor evaluating any offers for Julian," continued Atletico before mocking Real Madrid's reference to "good relations" between the clubs.
"How could we not get along, when you make us laugh even more than Barcelona," concluded the statement in reference to Barcelona's alleged recent offer to sign Alvarez, whose release clause stands at 500 million euros.
