Barcelona have ‘reaffirmed their commitment’ to signing Julian Alvarez and have decided when they will make a new move for the Atletico Madrid superstar, according to a report.
Barcelona need a new striker after Robert Lewandowski departed the Camp Nou on a free transfer. Lewandowski has joined MLS outfit Chicago Fire on a two-year contract, and Barca have identified Alvarez as their No 1 target to succeed the Polish icon.
Hansi Flick’s side made a verbal proposal worth €100million (£86m) for Alvarez on May 29, which was rejected by Atleti.
Real Madrid have also had a €150m (£129m) bid for Alvarez rejected, with Atleti simply pointing to his astronomical €500m (£430.5m) release clause.
Atleti are trying to stand firm, but the Argentine ramped up the pressure on them by saying a week ago: “I spoke with the people at [Atletico] I needed to speak with, and the best thing for everyone is a transfer. I want to fulfil my dream.
“It’s not the time to talk about this, but I also can’t hide it. I try to be an honest person.”
It is understood that the ‘dream’ Alvarez is referring to is signing for Barca, despite interest from Madrid, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.
As per Barcelona-based newspaper Mundo Deportivo, the Blaugrana ‘maintain they will not abandon’ Alvarez and are preparing a fresh approach.
Barca have ‘detected voices at Atleti who are in favour of selling’, but Diego Simeone’s side ‘want to delay the process’.
Barca still see the 26-year-old as their ‘top target’ this summer and are ‘unwavering’ in their pursuit of his signature, despite Atleti making the deal extremely difficult.
Barca will ‘pull out all the stops’ to complete the deal, which suggests they will vastly increase that opening €100m proposal. Separate reports have suggested Atleti could sell if a bid worth €200m (£172m) arrives, though such an expensive transfer would seriously stretch Barca’s finances.
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Barcelona to delay Julian Alvarez talks
Barca do not want to ‘disrupt’ Argentina’s World Cup campaign and have therefore ‘paused their pursuit for a few days’.
After this short cooling off period, Barca are expected to launch a new bid for Alvarez. If that fails, then they will likely wait until the end of the tournament before trying again.
While stopping short of naming Alvarez directly, Barca president Joan Laporta effectively confirmed his strong desire to make the move a reality.
“Dreams come true if you work and fight for them,” he said. “Hopefully we can fulfill the dreams of the players who want to come to Barca.”
Barca have reportedly approached Harry Kane as an alternative to Alvarez, and the England captain has reached a decision on his future.