Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez remains a major topic of discussion in the Spanish media, as both his Champions League exploits and his future make headline news. The Argentina international has been non-committal when asked about where he will be next season, but it appears he will most likely be staying at the Metropolitano this summer.
Alvarez has been singled out as Barcelona’s priority target to replace Robert Lewandowski this summer, as they look to find the long-term answer to the number nine position. All year there has been reports of talk between his agents and Barcelona, but Atletico Madrid have remained adamant that he is going nowhere. Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain have been linked to him too.
‼️ Diego Simeone: “Academy players? It’s not so easy to say they’re ready to support the team. They’re still in the process, but they show quality. I always say that in football it’s not about age, it’s about level. What matters is that when their moment comes, they prove it on… pic.twitter.com/nXy5luvSPN
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) May 1, 2026
Price tag for Julian Alvarez would be €100-110m
According to Matteo Moretto on RadioMarca, Atletico Madrid have a valuation of Alvarez of around €100-110m, but that is something that will only come into play if the 26-year-old requests an exit from the club. Alvarez and his family are happy in Madrid, and as things stand, it is ‘difficult to see’ him requesting an exit, which would set things in motion.
🚨 Hansi Flick: “For me, this is an important game. We want to win, Osasuna is a great rival, there’s a great atmosphere, they have a great striker… We have to focus only on this game.” 🎙️
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) May 1, 2026
Atletico Madrid renewal is already agreed
One of the obstacles to Barcelona convincing him to do so is a contract renewal with Atletico Madrid. Moretto explains that Atletico are keen to hand Alvarez a wage rise, and that all of the terms for a new deal are already agreed. Los Colchoneros will look to get that renewal signed after their Champions League campaign comes to an end, in a bid to ward off interest from Barcelona, Arsenal and PSG.
Alternatives for Barcelona
As has been reported over the past two weeks, two of the alternatives to Alvarez for Barcelona are Alexander Sorloth and Chelsea’s Joao Pedro. The Brazilian’s name was only revealed this week, while the Norwegian emerged as a surprise target two weeks ago. RCD Mallorca forward Vedat Muriqi has also been cited as an option on their shortlist.
