Barcelona midfielder Gavi has named heavily-linked Atletico Madrid frontman Julian Alvarez, along with a fellow Spain World Cup star, as one his dream teammates at the Camp Nou.
Argentina frontman Alvarez remains insistent on a move to Barca this summer, that’s despite a recent report suggesting that Arsenal already have a deal in place to sign the former Manchester City No.9.
Indeed, journalist Jota Jordi, speaking on June 17, told El Chiringuito TV that ‘Atleti have a done deal with Arsenal to sell’ Alvarez to the Gunners for €50million (£43.3m), with Viktor Gyokeres going to the Spanish club as part of a swap deal.
The reigning Premier League champions are keen on bolstering their attack with Alvarez, who was the subject of a failed €150m (£130m) bid from Real Madrid earlier this month.
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However, the player himself has long been holding out for a switch to Barcelona, despite the reports that a switch to London could already be in the bag.
Gavi, meanwhile, is hopeful that his current club wins that particular race after being asked to talk transfers in an interview at the Spain camp ahead of his team’s clash with Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
Barcelona continue to be heavily linked with a striker signing as they prepare for life after Robert Lewandowski, following the 37-year-old’s decision to seek a new club this summer.
And, in the second part of a question put to Gavi by RAC1 (as relayed by Mundo Deportivo), the Barca star was asked which World Cup player he would like to join him at the club, to which he simply replied, after a pause: “Julian Alvarez.”
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While Gavi could soon have his wish granted, assuming Arsenal do not ruin it, he was initially asked which fellow Spain World Cup star he would for Barcelona, to which he replied “I like [Marc] Pubill” before then adding: “No, look, I’m not going to tell you Pubill, I’m going to tell you [Mikel] Oyarzabal.”
The Real Sociedad forward has been a stalwart of the LaLiga outfit for more than a decade, scoring 133 goals in 437 games for the Basque Country side.
With just two years remaining on his contract, the 29-year-old would arguably be a decent and more affordable stop-gap signing for Barcelona, having notched 18 times in all competitions during the 2025/26 season.
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He is currently valued at just €25m (£21.6m) on Transfermarkt, which would be way less than the €150m-plus (£130m) that could tempt Atletico into parting company with Alvarez.
There is, however, the school of thought that Barcelona could potentially sign Alvarez for lower than that price tag, given that Atletico would have knocked back any bid from city rivals Real.