11 May 2026 06:01 BST |
4 min read
Julian Alvarez ‘wants to leave’ Atletico Madrid according to many inside the Spanish club, with a belief that the player has already initiated plans for a blockbuster summer transfer amid links to Arsenal.
Alvarez is expected to be in high demand this summer and Arsenal are set to push hard for the Argentine international as they look to find a high-quality marquee attacking signing.
While Alvarez has not made a formal decision or publicly announced any desire to leave Atletico, Spanish outlet Cadena SER claim that many of the club’s directors ‘suspect’ that the 26-year-old wants to leave and cannot rule out his departure.
Atletico are aware that there have been ‘movements’ from Alvarez’s entourage over a summer move, with the player’s representatives having negotiated with Barcelona and making contact with Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.
However, Alvarez is described as ‘not keen’ on moving back to England after joining Atletico from Manchester City in 2024, while the La Liga giants will ‘not make it easy’ for him to leave if he asks for a transfer at the end of the season.
Atletico want ‘a lot of money’ for Alvarez and would demand an amount exceeding €100 million – an amount they believe is ‘very unlikely’ to be met – and they will only act once the player confirms his intentions.
Alvarez set to command transfer saga as Arsenal and Barcelona push for Atleti star
Alvarez has been a key figure for Atletico since his €75m move from City and the forward has netted 20 times in all competitions this season, including a goal against Arsenal in the Champions League semi-final.
Arsenal are believed to have Alvarez as one of their top targets for the summer, with Mikel Arteta desperate to add more pedigree to his front line as he aims to make his side a dominant force.
However, Alvarez’s preference is understood to be Barcelona but it remains to be seen whether the Catalans can afford to sign him as their long-term successor for Robert Lewandowski.
PSG could emerge as a dark horse for Alvarez, with manager Luis Enrique holding the player in high esteem, giving Atletico a chance to hold a bidding war for their talismanic forward going into the summer transfer window.
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