Julián Alvarez made a decision in June: he wants to sign with Barcelona at all costs. According to numerous journalists, Julián reached a verbal agreement with Atlético Madrid’s management to leave the club if Barcelona made an attractive offer. The club has rejected all proposals from Joan Laporta and Deco, whose offer would have made Julián the most expensive sale in the Madrid club’s history. The amount of the offer was set to exceed the 120 million that Barcelona paid Atlético Madrid in 2019 for Antoine Griezmann.
Now, the red-and-white club is coming to terms with reality. Publicly, they’re taking a stance that suggests they need Julián Alvarez to compete for every title. Behind closed doors, however, they acknowledge that the best outcome for all parties is to find a way to let the Argentine forward leave. That said, they’d rather keep him than sell him to FC Barcelona. For now, Arsenal appears to be close to reaching an agreement with the club, though without the consent of Julián Alvarez , who doesn’t want to return to the Premier League.
With 8 days left until the transfer window closes, Atlético Madrid hopes to continue strengthening its roster. To do so, it must show the door to several players whose situations have stalled and show no signs of changing.
Carlos Martín, Lemar, Giménez, Obed Vargas… These are players who need to leave, but their departures won’t bring in significant revenue; rather, they’ll be more beneficial for the salary cap space they free up. Only Julián Alvarez would be a gold mine when it comes to bringing in cash.
That’s why Barcelona remains in the running for Julián Alvarez —they’re aware of Atlético’s precarious financial situation and their need to sell. The Catalans won’t break the bank, and they know it will be very difficult for the player to wear the Blaugrana jersey, but they’re applying pressure to satisfy the player’s expressed desire.
The ones most affected by this delicate situation are Julián’s own teammates. Two matchdays have already been played, during which Julián has seen 24 minutes of action—in which he barely made an impact and showed no signs of being the thrilling player worth paying to see. Quite the opposite, in fact: he was booed relentlessly by his own fans, who haven’t forgiven him for his comments.
If the transfer window closes today, Atlético Madrid would be left with its biggest star, unhappy and drifting aimlessly on the field. It’s clear that once the window closes and if Julian stays with the team, he’ll improve his performance, but his disaffection toward a club that broke its word will not fade.
This whole saga involves many nuances that are worth explaining. In the case of Atlético de Madrid, if it manages to keep him, it sends a message of strength to all of Europe. Its reputation as a club that sells its players is now a thing of the past, and the club is now capable of retaining its talent.
However, many people view this as a strange way to retain talent, since everyone knows that Julián will stay against his will.
Furthermore, from a sporting perspective, his performance might not be ideal and could disrupt the great atmosphere that reigns in the Riyadh Air Metropolitano’s locker room. Given his polite demeanor, the Argentine doesn’t seem like a difficult person to deal with, but his family or agents might make controversial statements to the press once the transfer window closes.
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