End of Julian Alvarez and Barcelona saga as the forward set to remain at Atletico Madrid

One of the longest-running transfer sagas of the European window has finally reached its conclusion, as Julian Alvarez will not be leaving Atletico Madrid this summer. The Argentine forward is set to continue his career at the club for at least the next six months, with any potential move now pushed to the January transfer window.

The resolution comes after Atletico dug in and refused to negotiate with Barcelona, while Alvarez himself also rejected the idea of a return to the Premier League with Arsenal wanting the striker.

As a result, Diego Simeone will continue to count on the Argentine for the first half of the season, with Alvarez already back training alongside his teammates as he looks to reclaim his spot in the starting lineup, after a limited start to the campaign that included just a handful of minutes in the draw with Villarreal.

Beyond fighting for his place on the pitch, Alvarez will also need to navigate a strained relationship with a section of the fanbase, who booed him during his last appearance and unveiled banners at the Metropolitano calling for his exit.

Looking ahead to the next transfer window, Atletico have set their asking price for the forward at €150 million, with the added condition that they won’t sell him to a direct rival like Barcelona.

Barcelona’s move for Gabriel Jesus

With Alvarez off the table, Barcelona moved quickly elsewhere, agreeing a deal with Arsenal for Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Catalan club will pay around €10 million to sign the former Manchester City striker, who is expected to travel to Spain in the coming hours to undergo a medical and finalize his contract.

For Arsenal, the pursuit of Alvarez ultimately came up empty, leaving Mikel Arteta’s side to look elsewhere for attacking reinforcements before the transfer window closes. Barcelona, meanwhile, wasted no time pivoting to Gabriel Jesus once it became clear Alvarez wasn’t walking through the door, wrapping up their own search for a new No. 9 just as their rivals for his signature moved on.