In 56 appearances last season, Alvarez grabbed 31 goals and 8 assists for Atletico Madrid who are desperate to hold on to the Argentina star as both Arsenal and Barcelona continue to track the striker.
The Spanish giants saw Alvarez as their dream replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who left Catalonia as a free agent and joined Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer this summer.
However, after launching a €100M bid, Barcelona were immediately rejected by their league rivals who are determined to hold on to Alvarez despite his reported desire to leave the club.
Atletico went public with their transfer dispute with Barcelona the next day with a series of fake transfer posts on social media, accompanied by the caption: “Don’t believe everything you see, especially if it’s related to Barca.”
Atlético have now lodged an official complaint with the Royal Spanish Football Federation, claiming Barcelona negotiated with Álvarez while he remains under contract until 2030 and within FIFA's protected period.
Barcelona reportedly insist they have done nothing wrong and are confident they can successfully defend themselves as they now handle the investigation and continue their search for a Lewandowski replacement.
Reports in Spain state that Barcelona hope Alvarez forces the issue once more upon his return to the club after an extended break following Argentina’s World Cup campaign.