Just a few days before the start of the 2026 World Cup, the future of Julián 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.
