Atletico Madrid make ‘clear’ decision on selling Julian Alvarez as Arsenal make contact
An Atletico Madrid chief has revealed whether they are willing to sell Arsenal and FC Barcelona target Julian Alvarez this summer.
The former Manchester City star has developed into one of the world’s best strikers after leaving the Etihad, having scored 49 goals in his 106 appearances for Atletico Madrid.
Alvarez has been attracting interest from Arsenal and Barcelona this summer, with journalist Ben Jacobs stating on Thursday that the Gunners are ‘in contact’ over signing the striker.
‘Arsenal set to bid for Morgan Rogers after holding talks with both the player and Aston Villa. Club-to-club negotiations expected to accelerate following the World Cup,’ Jacobs said on X.
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‘Arsenal also continue to explore Julian Alvarez. Player has made no secret of his desire to join Barcelona, but Andrea Berta is also in contact with former club Atletico Madrid.
‘Although Atletico Madrid don’t wish to sell, they are currently more inclined to do business with a non-La Liga rival. Barcelona haven’t ruled out making a new bid, though. There are provisions for select #UCL clubs to secure Alvarez for less than €500m clause.’
“The club’s position is clear…”
However, Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil has now stated that their “position is clear” regarding Alvarez, who they do not want to leave this summer.
“My position is clear, the club’s position is clear. We’ve made it known to the player, his representatives, and the president of Barcelona.” Gil said.
“I have absolutely no doubt that Atlético is the right place in the world for Julián, and that Julián is the perfect centre-forward for Atlético Madrid. We want to keep him.
“I recently heard the president say that the offer he made to Atlético Madrid wasn’t unlimited. My only response is that our answer is unlimited.
“We do not want to transfer him.
“We didn’t accept an offer of €100 million, and we won’t accept one of €150 million or even €200 million.”
However, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano stated on Thursday that Barcelona have “not given up” over signing Alvarez as a replacement for Robert Lewandowski.
“Barcelona have not given up,” Romano said.
“The club deliberately chose to respect the player during the World Cup and avoided creating unnecessary distractions.
“Now that the tournament is over, Barcelona will resume their efforts to understand whether there is still a way to complete the deal. This is certainly a story that will be very important to follow.”
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