Atletico Madrid’s star player, Julian Alvarez, is said to be making a Barcelona transfer his top priority this summer if he decides to depart the club. While chatter about his potential exit from Los Rojiblancos persists, it’s understood he’s content in the Spanish capital.
Reports earlier this week indicated that Barcelona’s Sporting Director, Mateu Alemany, was open to the idea of a summer sale for Alvarez. However, Atletico Madrid has presented Alvarez with a contract renewal offer and intends to retain him. Matteo Moretto reported on Thursday evening that Alvarez is leaning towards a move to Barcelona, a sentiment he reiterated to Radio Marca the following day.
Moretto suggests that Alvarez’s family is settled in Spain and would favor a move to Barcelona. The Catalan club is reportedly keen on making him their primary transfer target once again but is awaiting Alvarez to clearly communicate this desire to Atletico. Barcelona plans to explore the feasibility of a deal in the coming weeks and hopes to reduce the transfer fee to around €100 million by potentially including players in the exchange, a scenario that might not align with Atletico’s interests.
Adding to the speculation, Alvarez’s relationship with manager Diego Simeone is described as “not the best,” according to Moretto. Should Barcelona fail to reach an agreement with Atletico, Alvarez and his representatives will explore other offers, with Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal also showing interest.
Earlier in the season, Alvarez himself fueled Barcelona transfer rumors by stating he was unsure about his future at Atletico next season. Now, teammate Marcos Llorente has echoed this uncertainty. Speaking to Cadena Cope, Llorente commented on Alvarez’s future:
“I don’t know what he’ll do, and even he won’t know, not even now. I don’t ask him. He seems fine to me, but maybe he wants to leave and we just don’t know.”
