Julian Alvarez continues to be linked with a move away from Atletico Madrid with Arsenal and Barcelona both credited with an interest
Julian Alvarez’s representative has dismissed claims that the Atletico Madrid forward’s brothers have been scouting properties in Barcelona as ‘1,000 per cent false’. The 26-year-old Alvarez cpntinues to be a transfer target for Arsenal and Barcelona this summer, two years on from his £82 million departure from Manchester City.
The striker has continued his excellent form from his debut campaign in the Spanish capital by helping Atletico progress to the Champions League semi-finals, where they’re set to meet Arsenal. In the last round, Alvarez’s team eliminated Barcelona, who alongside Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are mulling over bolstering their attacking options during the summer transfer window.
With Robert Lewandowski’s contract expiring in June and Marcus Rashford’s loan spell concluding, Alvarez sits at the top of the La Liga champions’ wish list. Reports emerged this week suggesting Alvarez had dispatched his two brothers to view homes in the city, but the Argentine’s representative, Fernando Hidalgo, has rubbished those suggestions.
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“1,000 per cent false,” Hidalgo confirmed to Spanish media outlet Mundo Deportivo. “No one in the family has been in Barcelona. The last time was for the match against Atletico, and they returned to Madrid the next day.”
Alvarez himself has remained coy regarding his future plans. Last month, when questioned about Barcelona, he replied: “What do you want me to say? I’ve never said anything.
“These are things that get said, then they spread like wildfire on social media. You say one thing and it generates comments, but I’ve never said anything.
“Who knows, maybe yes, maybe no. I’m happy. It’s a question that’s going to come up everywhere, but I’m happy, I’m thinking about the day-to-day and working to give my best here.”
Alvarez netted a crucial late leveller in last weekend’s Copa del Rey final before Atletico succumbed to Real Sociedad on spot-kicks. With La Liga glory now beyond their grasp, the ex-City forward and his colleagues are concentrating entirely on eliminating Arsenal and reaching the Champions League showpiece.
The opening leg in Madrid next week will mark the first of two possible shop-window opportunities for Alvarez, who has yet to find the net against Arsenal across three encounters. Earlier in the campaign, Arteta’s charges demolished Atletico 4-0.
