Atletico Madrid President Enrique Cerezo was confident earlier this week that star forward Julian Alvarez would be going nowhere, but if reports are to be believed, then his representatives are not of the same mind. Alvarez arrived just last summer to much fanfare, costing Los Rojiblancos €75m (which could rise to €90m with variables) from Manchester City.
The World Cup-winner was arguably their best player this season, and with one game to go has scored 29 times and given six assists in his 53 appearances. Earlier this week there was a report that Barcelona were considering an approach for Alvarez in the summer of 2026, and that he would be open to listening to that offer.
🔵🔴 "La opción del Barça es la que puede seducir a Julián Alvarez".
🗣️ @inakivdl, sobre el futuro de la estrella del Atleti.
— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) May 21, 2025
Cerezo dismissed the idea out of hand, saying Lamine Yamal was more likely to join Atletico. However El Chiringuito have reported that Alvarez’s agents are due to meet with Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Liverpool next week to discuss his current situation.
That said, it is noted that Alvarez’s interested in moving to said teams has been questioned, and that if an offer were to tempt him into leaving the Metropolitano, it may well be a move to Catalonia.
It does seem unlikely that Los Colchoneros would be willing to let Alvarez go. They would likely demand an offer in excess of what they paid for him, and there are a limited number of clubs that are either willing or able to mount bids in excess of that figure.
💣🚨 MAJOR BREAKING: Darwin Nunez’s priority is to play for Atlético Madrid. He has already begun planning his life in Madrid in case negotiations come to fruition.
Atlético are now exploring ways to make the deal happen, with a loan deal including a mandatory purchase clause…
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) May 21, 2025
In addition, the backlash from Atletico fans and the potential message it would send to Diego Simeone and the squad would be virulent. Alvarez was the standard bearer for fresh investment and a renewed ambition under Simeone, but if he were to depart, that idea would go up in smoke.
