Barcelona are desperately looking for a striker who could replace Robert Lewandowski next summer considering his age and incessant injury issues.
They have shortlisted plenty of striker which includes a varied range of players starting from some like Dusan Vlahovic who would be available for free next summer to someone unproven like Hoffenheim’s Fisnik Asllani taking Bundesliga by storm in his debut season.
However, despite the shortlist filled with multiple options, their most desirable successor has to be Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez, who was deemed to be untouchable at least up until now.
But things have taken a drastic turn following Atleti’s 4-0 defeat against Arsenal in the recent Champions League fixture.
The Argentine forward, who is seen as a cornerstone of the project at Atleti is growing frustrated with every defeat as per recent reports via Diario Sport.
Alvarez is unsure if this team is capable of winning trophies or not and results like the recent defeat Arsenal has compounded this feeling.
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In the meantime, Barcelona are continuing to monitor Alvarez’s situation at the Spanish capital as President Joan Laporta may use a blockbuster signing to sway the votes in his favour in next year’s election at Camp Nou.
Earlier it was thought to be Man City’s Erling Haaland but there’s no reason to not believe that it could shift to Alvarez, who could be available for a transfer next summer.
According to Diario Sport, Atletico Madrid may entertain offers in the region of €150m ($174.2m) for the Argentine striker next summer.
Why is Alvarez frustrated with the Atletico Madrid project?
Alvarez established himself at River Plate before making a big move to Manchester City in January 2022.
He played as Erling Haaland’s backup at the Etihad Stadium for two seasons before eventually moving to Atletico Madrid in 2024 for a whopping €95m transfer fee.
Since moving to Spain, he has netted 36 goals in 68 appearances including 23 goals in La Liga matches.
He is a versatile forward who can play anywhere in the frontline and also possesses exceptional link-up abilities as a sole number 9.
The Argentine has great IQ which helps him in his movements in the final third making him a threat against any opponent. Coupled with his goalscoring instincts, Alvarez is also a dead-ball specialist known for scoring goals from freekicks.
Ever since he has joined Atleti, Los Rojiblancos have invested a lot of money this summer in signing talented players such as Alex Baena, David Hancko, Johnny Cardoso, Giacomo Raspadori any many more.
Despite that, results have not gone in Atleti’s favour in recent times which has left the 25-year-old extremely frustrated.
Against Arsenal, Alvarez was the only Atletico Madrid player who looked like causing problems and after the second half blitzkrieg, he left the ground extremely irked and disheartened.
While there’s growing frustration, Alvarez and his camp aren’t ready to move out of the club this season. They have considered a move out of Atletico Madrid next summer.
After his stint with City, he is looking for a club that will be inclined with his vision and development as a player.
Apart from Barcelona, PSG are also eyeing a move for Alvarez and now it remains to be seen if the Blaugrana are able to compete financially with the other suitors.
Overall, Barcelona have secured a breakthrough in the deal for Alvarez which once looked like an impossible ordeal.
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