Julian Alvarez, Arsenal
© IMAGO
News
Argentina star Julian Alvarez needed to join Barcelona in the summer in order to take his game to the next level, according to his compatriot Maxi Lopez.
Alvarez found himself at the centre of the transfer saga of the summer as Barcelona tried and failed to sign the striker from La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid.
The 26-year-old expressed his desire to leave Atletico while representing Argentina at the 2026 World Cup, with Barcelona believed to be his preferred destination.
Julian Alvarez
© IMAGO - Julian Alvarez
However, Atletico refused to sell Alvarez to Barcelona, accusing their La Liga counterparts of a “lack of ethics” while publicly pursuing their star asset.
Arsenal were also keen on Alvarez as they looked to capitalise on their Premier League title success last season by making a marquee addition to their attack.
Yet Lopez believes Barcelona were the only team who could help Alvarez realise his “potential” by becoming one of the best players in the world.
Speaking to TYC Sports, Lopez said: “I would have liked to see him (Alvarez) at Barcelona, because he’s the number nine for the Argentine national team.
“He would be at another level [at Barcelona]. I was coached by Cholo (Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid boss) myself. But if it were me, I’d go to Barcelona.
“This is just my personal take, based on how I see Julian’s potential.
“I think what Cholo has done with Atleti is truly remarkable - when I first arrived in Spain, Atletico wasn’t competing for anything; he completely transformed the club.
“But given Julian’s style of play, I’d choose a team that plays better football and, in my view, Barcelona plays better [football than Atletico].”
In 2025-26, Alvarez scored just eight league goals in an Atletico side who are known for their impressive defensive organisation under Simeone.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta's Arsenal are credited with possessing the best defence in the world, registering 19 clean sheets in 38 Premier League games last season.
Mikel Arteta
© IMAGO - Mikel Arteta
The attack-minded Barcelona, on the other hand, have already scored an incredible 51 goals in all competitions this term.
After missing out on joining Barcelona, Alvarez has been reintegrated into the Atletico fold, netting two goals in his last two games for the club.
In an interview with Movistar+ following Saturday’s league win over Deportivo La Coruna, Alvarez apologised to Atletico fans for asking to leave in the summer.
He said: “I’d like to apologise to our fans for what I said at the World Cup; it was a mistake in terms of how I said it and the timing.
“I understand why the fans are angry. If I were a fan, I'd be angry too. Especially given how they've supported me since I arrived.”
Andoni Iraola saves Liverpool £100m thanks to genius decision
Breaking news • Anfield Watch 204 reading this now · 2 min read
Michael Carrick, Man Utd, 2026/27News