Barcelona may view Julian Alvarez as the ideal striker to lead the club’s next attacking era, but convincing Atletico Madrid to even consider a sale is proving extremely difficult.
According to fresh reports from Mundo Deportivo, Atletico Madrid are already building their future project around the Argentine forward and have absolutely no intention of weakening their squad by allowing him to leave this summer.
The report claims that Atletico see Alvarez not only as one of their most important players, but as the central figure of the club’s long-term sporting project moving forward.
Atletico Madrid are not budging
While Barcelona continue fighting for the La Liga title, Atletico Madrid’s campaign has ended in disappointment once again.
The club missed out on silverware after losing the Copa del Rey final and suffering elimination in the Champions League semi-finals against Arsenal.
Despite the frustration surrounding another trophyless season, Atletico’s confidence regarding Alvarez has not changed.
In fact, the club is said to be so convinced about his long-term future in Madrid that discussions over improving his current contract cannot be ruled out.
Atletico Madrid are not giving up on Julian Alvarez. (Photo by Harry Murphy/Getty Images)
The Argentine already has a deal running until 2030, but Atletico want to reinforce his importance within the project even further.
The upcoming transfer window is also expected to be an important one, as reports suggest Atletico are preparing significant investments in the squad this summer with the objective of helping the team take another step forward competitively.
That ambition only strengthens their desire to keep Alvarez as the face of the project.
What about Barcelona?
Barcelona, meanwhile, are fully aware that negotiations would only become realistic if the player himself actively pushes to leave Atletico Madrid.
Inside the Catalan club, there had been hope that Alvarez could use the short break before joining up with the Argentina national football team for the World Cup to privately communicate a desire for a transfer.
So far, however, that scenario has not materialised.
The lack of pressure from the player’s side remains one of the biggest obstacles for Barcelona, who continue searching for a top-level striker capable of transforming the attack in the post Robert Lewandowski era.
