Atlético Madrid forward Julián Alvarez reportedly “exploded” upon his return to the Spanish capital on Monday, still hellbent on securing a move to Barcelona before the transfer window closes.
The Argentine, who is under contract with Los Rojiblancos until June 2030, has been at the center of a hostile transfer saga this summer. Alvarez publicly expressed his desire to leave the Metropolitano during the World Cup, boldly stating he wants to “fulfill [his] dream,” assumed to mean Barcelona.
Yet Diego Simeone and co. are unwilling to let their main man go. Atlético Madrid swiftly rebuffed Barcelona’s €100 million ($114 million) bid for the striker and then Real Madrid’s rather disingenuous €150 million ($171.4 million) offer. They even issued a formal complaint to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), prompting an investigation into the Catalans’ pursuit of the 26-year-old.
Alvarez joined up with the team on Monday following his summer break and tensions seemingly only got worse. Mundo Deportivo report the former Manchester City standout completely “lost his temper” and made one message clear to Atlético Madrid: “Count me out.”
Alvarez is now prepared to go “all out” to force a move to Barcelona, his mood only made worse by Simeone and club CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín’s absences from the training ground. The report claims Alvarez wanted to speak to both key figures about a transfer, but neither was present upon his return.
Why Alvarez Is Desperate for Transfer
It’s not all that surprising Alvarez wants out of the Spanish capital. It was a perplexing move in the first place for the young striker, who was also linked with Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal after two strong seasons with Manchester City.
Yet in the summer of 2024, he chose to pledge his next six years to Atlético Madrid, a team that won La Liga just twice in the 21st century. Alvarez started out brightly enough, scoring 29 goals in 54 appearances during his debut campaign, helping Simeone’s men stay in the title race for a majority of the season.
Reality seemingly set in last term, though. Compared to the star power at Barcelona and Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, in their current state, do not stand much of any chance at truly competing for the Spanish crown alongside either of their biggest rivals.
Even when Los Rojiblancos had the Copa del Rey in their reach after eliminating the Catalans last season en route to the final, they suffered a shock defeat to Real Sociedad. It was the last chance club icon Antoine Griezmann had to win a major honor before he left for Major League Soccer side Orlando City.
Perhaps Alvarez saw a vision of what his future could look like in that moment if he remained at the Metropolitano, pushing the 26-year-old into action. Barcelona were all too happy to provide an escape route.
Barcelona Still Holding Out Hope
Alvarez has largely been the story of Barcelona’s summer. The defending Spanish champions made their intentions very clear in the transfer window: they want Alvarez to replace Robert Lewandowski as their starting No. 9.
Yet Barcelona have been met with nothing but roadblocks and a series of viral fake transfer announcements on social media. Still, the Catalans remain interested in Alvarez, who has been their dream transfer for quite some time now.
Hansi Flick always wanted the Argentina international, but now he will be absolutely desperate for the player’s signature. Ferran Torres has reportedly reached an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain, potentially leaving the German boss without a natural, first-team center forward.
Barcelona can only hold out hope for Alvarez for so long until they must turn their attention to another striker on the market. The Spanish giants cannot truly compete for the Champions League with either Anthony Gordon or Karim Adeyemi leading the line.
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