Julian Alvarez is reportedly considering ways of pressuring Atletico Madrid into negotiating his exit from the club amid ongoing interest from Barcelona and Arsenal.
Since the Argentine’s move from Manchester City to Atletico in the summer of 2024, the 26-year-old has arguably become one of the most coveted strikers in the world.
That was evidenced by the fact that Real Madrid bid £129m for his services in June, something Diego Simeone’s team swiftly rejected, while stressing that his release clause is an eye-watering £431m.
Alvarez is said to have set his sights on moving to La Liga champions Barcelona, but the Catalan outfit may not have the financial means to afford his services.
Incidentally, in late June, the forward said, “I spoke with people at the club, with those I had to speak with and the best thing for everyone is a transfer and 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.”
And according to reports, Atletico are seemingly being accused of not being completely honest with Alvarez, whose contract at the Metropolitano Stadium expires in 2030.
Julian Alvarez considers going on ‘strike’
As per ESPN Argentina, via Larazon, the relationship between Alvarez and Atletico is at its ‘most delicate’ moment since he joined the club just under two years ago.
His entourage is accusing Atletico of not ‘fulfilling the commitment’ made months ago, when Alvarez was supposedly told he could leave if Barcelona made an offer ‘on certain economic terms’.
While the report does not state what these are, the situation is said to have caused the player ‘significant discomfort’, as Alvarez understands that a deal to Barcelona may not be forthcoming.
The 2026 World Cup finalist is reportedly willing to take this a step further to ‘unblock’ this situation, including not showing up for training when summoned by Atletico for pre-season.
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The goal would be to ‘pressure’ Atletico to negotiate his exit, at a time when this ‘conflict’ between both parties continues to grow.
The report adds that Barcelona is Alvarez’s preferred destination, with the Argentina international happy to join the Blaugrana’s project and continue competing in La Liga.
Arsenal ‘remain on the prowl’ but Mikel Arteta’s side may face disappointment in their bid to recruit him.
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They still have Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Jesus as attacking options, although the latter has been linked with a summer exit as he enters the final 12 months of his contract.
Arsenal did finally ended their 22-year wait for a Premier League title, with Arteta‘s side finally getting over the hump and winning the division by seven points.
The Spaniard will hope his side can kick on, retain their title, and break new ground in the Champions League – a competition they have never won.
If they were able to lure Alvarez to the Emirates, that would certainly help towards those goals. Whether that will happen, though, is up in the air.
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