Julian Alvarez is attracting interest from several top clubs this summer, but Barcelona remain confident they will win the race for the Argentine and bring the 26-year-old to Camp Nou
La Liga champions Barcelona believe they are still in pole position to sign Argentine forward Julian Alvarez, who is set to star in the World Cup semi-final this evening as Argentina face Thomas Tuchel’s England.
Alvarez is Barcelona’s number one option to reinforce the center forward position following Robert Lewandowski’s departure to the Chicago Fire in MLS.
Atletico Madrid, Alvarez’s current club, did not respond to an offer of around £85m from Barcelona to secure the Argentine’s services earlier this summer.
Nevertheless, the Catalan giants believe they are still leading the race to sign the 26-year-old. Alvarez declared a few weeks ago in the United States that he was seeking a move away from the Spanish capital and urged his club to negotiate, with Hansi Flick’s side taking this as encouragement that he was pushing for a move to Barcelona and Barcelona only.
Indeed, despite a number of suitors vying for Alvarez’s signature this summer, the Catalan club remains optimistic the deal will eventually go through as Alvarez has so far refused to negotiate with any other clubs.
Premier League champions Arsenal are closely monitoring the forward’s situation this summer, as are Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain. Argentine outlet Clarin claims Mikel Arteta’s side are “following every movement” and will position themselves as a credible alternative should Barcelona be unable to strike a deal.
Yet Alvarez has made it clear that his desire is to suit up for La Blaugrana next season. Alongside this desire, Barcelona is aware that neither Arsenal nor PSG have yet exceeded the amount offered by the Catalan club.
The understanding is that Arsenal’s offer falls short of £85m, while PSG would only reach that valuation should other players be included in the deal.
Reports in Spain indicate that the Catalan club are preparing a new and improved offer for Alvarez, with the view to table the offer to Atletico Madrid at the end of July. While the fixed amount will be similar to the previously announced £85m, Barcelona will look to include a series of variables to up the ante.
The report says that Barca’s sporting directors ‘are aware’ that both Arsenal and PSG are yet to offer more than them to sign Alvarez.
Hansi Flick’s side may be forced to send a player the other way if they are to strike a deal with Atletico, with president Joan Laporta set to lead the negotiations for Alvarez.
The Argentine, however, is said to be fully focused on the World Cup with Argentina and has no plans to make any decisions regarding his club future until after the tournament has finished.
As such, the saga could yet drag on until August. While Barcelona are optimistic about the Argentine’s potential arrival, reports in Spain suggest there is an acceptance that the situation cannot drag on much longer than the beginning of August.
Hansi Flick’s side begin their La Liga campaign on August 23, and the German is adamant that any new first-team signing must be integrated into the squad before the season gets underway. As such, much like the initial proposal, the new and improved offer will not remain open indefinitely.
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Should Atletico continue to refuse to negotiate, the Catalan club will look elsewhere to strengthen their attack. Sources close to the powers that be at Barcelona have admitted to Spanish publication AS that the hierarchy is working behind the scenes on bringing in another forward.
Despite maintaining this player’s anonymity, it is understood this Alvarez alternative also ranks among the top forwards on the international stage.
Even so, the Catalan giants remain confident that Alvarez will be calling Camp Nou home next season.
