Barcelona are set to make a firm push to sign Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez this summer, with the Spanish giants identifying the Argentine as their primary attacking target for the upcoming transfer window, according to transfer insider Matteo Moretto.
Moretto, a reliable source on Spanish football transfers, revealed that Barcelona plan to formally contact Atletico Madrid and Alvarez’s representatives in the coming weeks as they look to make him their Plan A striker. The 25-year-old joined Atletico from Manchester City last summer in a deal worth around €135 million and quickly established himself as a key figure under Diego Simeone at the Metropolitano.
Atletico are holding firm on a valuation in excess of €100 million for Alvarez, a significant ask given the player only arrived in Madrid less than a year ago. To bridge the financial gap, Barcelona are reportedly considering the inclusion of players in any potential deal — a strategy the club have used in previous transfer negotiations to manage their well-documented financial constraints.
Moretto also clarified that Alvarez is currently content at Atletico and feels settled in the Spanish capital. However, the same journalist previously reported that if the striker were to consider a move away, Barcelona would be his preferred destination — a detail that adds weight to Barça’s optimism about landing him.
Barcelona are not without alternatives. João Pedro, the Brazilian forward, has been identified as a backup option for the centre-forward role should the Alvarez pursuit prove too costly or too complicated. But the club’s hierarchy is expected to exhaust all avenues in the Alvarez chase before turning their full attention elsewhere.
With the summer window approaching, the coming weeks will be critical in determining whether Barcelona can structure a deal that satisfies Atletico’s demands while working within their own financial framework.
— NutmegXtra | Football News. Transfers. More.
