Just a few days before the start of the 2026 World Cup, the future ofJulián Álvarez has started to become one of the major stories of the upcoming European transfer market. The Argentine forward from Atlético de Madrid is back in the spotlight after Barcelona made concrete advances to try to sign him for the next season.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Catalan club has already initiated formal contacts with the player's camp and considers him an absolute priority to strengthen their attacking front. In fact, the transfer specialist stated that the first official offer to the Colchonero would be presented in the coming days.
The movement from the Catalan team gained momentum after a key meeting held this week. According to the newspaper Sport, the meeting included Deco, the sporting director of the blaugrana club, various intermediaries, and Fernando Hidalgo, the representative of the Argentine footballer. The negotiations extended for more than four hours and served to bring positions closer for a possible historic operation.
The proposal being prepared by the Catalan management would be around 90 million euros plus performance-related bonuses, a figure that reflects Barça's strong interest in acquiring the former forward from River and Manchester City. For now, the offer would not include players as part of the payment.
However, in Barcelona, they know that the negotiation is far from straightforward. Atlético de Madrid has no intention of easily parting with one of its main figures and demands an even higher sum to let him go. Additionally, the competition promises to be fierce: Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal are also closely monitoring the situation of the world champion and could advance with similar or even superior proposals.
In this regard, in Catalonia, they believe that the player's own stance could be decisive in tipping the balance. According to Spanish media, during recent discussions they tried to gauge what the player's priority would be among the various European giants interested in him.
Barcelona believes that Julián Álvarez's priorities will be a key factor in the negotiations.
Nonetheless, the financial aspect remains the main obstacle to finalizing the transfer. The club led by Joan Laporta continues to be constrained by its financial situation and knows that an operation of such magnitude will require a significant economic effort.
Meanwhile, Julián Álvarez is focused on the Argentine National Team and the World Cup that will begin in the coming weeks. But in Europe, a market battle is already anticipated that promises to have him as one of the major protagonists of the summer.
Julián Álvarez's numbers at Atlético de Madrid
Since his arrival at Colchonero in mid-2024, the native of Calchín has played 7,516 minutes, spread over 106 matches, in which he scored 49 goals, provided 17 assists, and received 8 yellow cards.
