What happened: Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has publicly ruled out selling Julian Alvarez, telling RNE that nothing has changed and the forward will remain at the club. Cerezo said there are zero bids on the table at present and insisted that even if proposals arrive, Alvarez will end up staying because Atletico do not want to sell.

Why it matters: The statement is Atletico's firmest push-back yet against speculation linking Alvarez with a move, and it protects the centerpiece of their attack heading into the 2026 campaign. A club president closing the door this directly narrows the window for any suitor and signals Atletico intend to build around, not cash in on, their marquee striker.

What to watch: Watch whether any formal proposal actually materializes to test Cerezo's stance, and how Alvarez himself responds as preseason approaches.