Barcelona remain committed to signing Julian Alvarez from Atletico de Madrid despite the Spanish club’s strong opposition to selling the Argentina striker this summer.
Alvarez, 26, has a contract with Atletico de Madrid until 2030, but his position is still considered crucial to the proposed deal. According to Mundo Deportivo, he remains determined to leave the club and join Barcelona.
Barcelona expect the forward to reaffirm his desire to move to the Catalan side, with the club continuing to monitor his situation closely.
Alvarez is due to return to Atletico de Madrid’s preparations for the new season on Monday, 10 August. Barcelona are expected to make an approach to Atletico’s board around that time, in an effort to underline the player’s intention to leave and confirm their continued interest.
The operation is regarded by Barcelona as possible, but it could take a considerable amount of time. The club believes negotiations may continue until the final two weeks of August, although waiting so long would carry significant risks.
Barcelona’s interest is based partly on Alvarez’s strong commitment to the club. He publicly expressed his wish to move during the World Cup, and that level of dedication has helped convince the Catalan side to remain focused on signing him.
Head coach Hansi Flick also sees Alvarez as the ideal striker for his team. The Germany manager values the player’s pace, technical ability, versatility and goalscoring threat, while his work-rate is regarded as another key strength.
Barcelona’s assessment of the wider striker market has also influenced their decision. After analysing the available options, the club believes there are relatively few forwards who can be considered genuinely elite.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane are among the leading names in that category, but Barcelona currently consider deals for either player unrealistic.
Other forwards are viewed as operating at a lower level, yet they remain in high demand. Victor Osimhen is one such option, but a fee of 75m euros is being requested for the striker. That has encouraged Barcelona to explore every possibility with Alvarez before turning elsewhere.
If Barcelona cannot reach an agreement for the Argentina international, they will consider alternative solutions. Those options could even include not signing another striker at all.
The club’s intention is not to make a transfer simply because of urgent need. Barcelona believe they already have several players capable of operating as false nines and could rely on that group if necessary.
The situation would change if Ferran Torres were sold. In that case, Barcelona would need to recruit at least one striker after also losing Robert Lewandowski, meaning two forwards would have departed the squad.
