Julián Álvarez wants to join Barcelona, but the Madrid club is holding firm. Legal experts point to the Zubiaurre case, which could give the Argentine striker a judicial exit from the Metropolitano.
Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez returned to training on Monday, but his desire to move to Barcelona remains unchanged. While the Madrid club refuses to negotiate, a legal precedent has emerged that could open a judicial path for his departure.
According to Spanish outlet AS, Álvarez underwent medical checks after his break and began individual training sessions to regain fitness ahead of the 2026/27 season. The Argentine intended to speak with coach Diego Simeone or CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín to reiterate his wish to leave, but both were absent from the club's facilities.
The message awaiting him at that meeting, per AS, will be short and clear: "Apologize and get to work." The club has no intention of budging an inch, citing the case of Antoine Griezmann as an example. The Frenchman left for Barcelona in 2019, only to return to Madrid and win back the fans' favor with his performances.
While Atlético remains firm, legal expert Miguel Galán, president of the National Center for Football Coach Training, has highlighted a judicial precedent that could offer Álvarez a way out. This is the 'Zubiaurre case' from 2005.
At the time, Ibai Zubiaurre bought his "freedom card" from Real Sociedad for €500,000 to move to Athletic Bilbao on a free transfer. Real Sociedad took legal action, claiming that the fine print in his contract allowed them to unilaterally extend the deal and raise his release clause to €30 million.
The Social Court No. 1 in San Sebastián deemed the clause excessive and disproportionate, reducing it to €5 million. The Supreme Court later upheld that compensation amount. The proceedings dragged on until 2008, and Zubiaurre was unable to play for over a year as a result.
Galán posted on X that the precedent "confirms that social courts can judicially review a termination clause if it is disproportionate and restricts professional freedom," adding: "Let everyone draw their own conclusions."
Former Barcelona official and presidential candidate Toni Freixa went a step further. "The release clause in Julián's contract, due to the disparity between its value and his salary and market worth, is legally void because it constitutes a circumvention of the law. And any judge in a social court will declare it so. If Álvarez wants to take on this fight, he will win it by a landslide," Freixa wrote on the same social network.
While Barcelona refuses to give up and is prepared to make a significant financial effort, Atlético remains steadfast in its position. For now, the situation is at a standstill, but the legal path now appears open.
