Julian Alvarez has rejected offers from Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain because he prioritises a move to FC Barcelona according to Mundo Deportivo and Mega, which cited anonymous sources.
A fortnight ago, reports from Argentina explained that Alvarez had agreed to join Barça on a five-year deal.
It was also noted that Barça would have to improve their $116 million offer, however. And in the days that followed that news, Real Madrid President Florentino Perez stood accused of “torpedoing” Barça’s attempts to land their top target through a $175 million bid rejected by Alvarez’s current employers Atletico Madrid.
With the World Cup now underway, and Alvarez helping defend Argentina’s Qatar 2022 crown with Lionel Messi, we’ve not heard much about the 26-year-old’s transfer saga since.
Julian Alvarez Is Prioritizing FC Barcelona
Mundo Deportivo writes that the World Cup has opened an “impasse” and Alvarez’s club future is now in the background.
In Catalonia, however, there is still faith in being able to land Alvarez, which is helped by the player prioritizing Barça above his other options.
So far, Alvarez has turned down a couple of agreements struck by Atetlico with Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal because of this.
This attitude is believed to be decisive if Alvarez is to don Blaugrana, and it’s highly valued by the likes of Sporting Director Deco and President Joan Laporta.
That being said, coming out in public and stating his desire to join FC Barcelona might also help, and effectively force Atleti’s hand into accepting a proposal from one of their main domestic rivals.
While that $116 million sum isn’t enough to land Alvarez given what Real Madrid offered, the overall value of the transfer could perhaps be increased by including a Barça player that Atleti have previously been interested in.
That could be Marc Casado, who looks certain to leave his boyhood club this summer. Ferran Torres is another name, but Deco and Co. are reportedly looking to extend his contract, which expires on June 30, 2027.
Selling Torres would leave Hansi Flick short of striker options even if Alvarez is made a new FC Barcelona player. Robert Lewandowski is set to depart in less than a fortnight, when he becomes a free agent currently linked to the Chicago Fire.