Deco closes door on Julian Alvarez as Barcelona move on

Barcelona sporting director Deco has ended the club's pursuit of Julian Alvarez after Atletico Madrid refused to sell the Argentine forward.

• Deco, speaking Thursday at the Portuguese Football Summit in Lisbon, said Barcelona submitted an offer for Alvarez but Atletico Madrid repeatedly refused to sell him.
• Deco said Alvarez "is in the past" and that Barcelona is happy with its current options and must look forward.
• Barcelona signed Gabriel Jesus after the Alvarez deal collapsed, with Deco saying Jesus was not initially part of the club's plans.
• Deco said Barcelona studied Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez but made no further contact after Inter declared the forward not for sale.