Barcelona have been warned that Atletico won’t sell Julian Alvarez this summer and that the Argentina international is simply out of their financial reach.
There is ongoing speculation that Barcelona have made Alvarez their top transfer target for the summer as they search for a replacement for Robert Lewandowski.
Agent José Antonio Martín ‘Petón’ – who is close to the club – has explained why he does not think the transfer will happen.
“Atletico Madrid isn’t going to sell Julian Alvarez to Barça. They
won’t be able to afford it,” he told Sport.
“To even sit down at the negotiating table with Atletico, Barça would have to offer at least €150 million, and they can’t do that.
“Any club that wants to sign Julian – a striker everyone says is the best – will have to pay the price for the best. And the price isn’t what ‘Transfermarkt’ lists; it’s his €500 million buyout clause. Let that be clear.”
“Atletico is determined to establish itself as a top European club. The largest capital increase in the history of Spanish football, amounting to €100 million, was carried out by them this summer.
“They also have the most significant sports and entertainment complex in Europe, which is about to open. And for that reason, they cannot afford to show any sign of weakness to their fans by selling Julian Alvarez.”
Barcelona are already being linked with potential alternatives. Chelsea forward Joao Pedro and Inter’s Lautaro Martinez are the latest players to be linked with a summer move to Camp Nou.
