Barcelona’s pursuit of Julian Alvarez has reached a decisive stage, and according to MARCA, the club is now asking the Argentine forward to make one final move to unlock the transfer: confronting Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin face-to-face and demanding he honor a promise Alvarez says the executive made him.
According to the player, Gil Marin had assured him he could leave this summer if he finished last season professionally, and Barcelona want him to hold his club’s leadership to that word directly rather than let the situation drag on through intermediaries.
That meeting between Alvarez and Gil Marin, however, keeps getting pushed back, leaving the operation stuck in limbo just as LaLiga’s season gets underway, and Diego Simeone ruled out Alvarez for Atletico Madrid’s opener vs Malaga.
Barcelona feel the moment has arrived to either open real negotiations for a transfer or shut the door on the pursuit entirely, especially with the club needing a resolution before the market closes.
Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid. (Getty Images)
Behind the scenes, the saga has also stirred tension within Atletico‘s locker room. According to Spanish radio program El Larguero, Alvarez told his teammates directly that he “made mistakes in how he handled things and in the way he expressed himself” regarding his public comments during the World Cup about wanting to leave.
Barcelona’s backup options if the deal collapses
If Alvarez can’t force his way out of Atletico Madrid, Barcelona already have alternatives lined up rather than being caught empty-handed. Names circulating in recent days include Lautaro Martinez along with Mikel Oyarzabal and Sporting CP forward Luis Suarez.
The most recent addition to that list is Viktor Gyokeres, with reports indicating Barcelona could move quickly on the Arsenal striker if their primary target falls through.
This last move could end up benefiting both Barcelona and Arsenal, since TEAMtalk reported the Gunners haven’t backed off their pursuit of Julian Alvarez, and a potential Gyokeres departure to Spain could clear the way for the Argentine to land at the Emirates Stadium instead.
