Barcelona set to make first offer for Julian Alvarez after he informs Atletico of desire to leave – Romano | OneFootball

It appears that FC Barcelona are not planning on wasting time in the transfer market this summer.

After all but securing the signing of Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United, the Blaugrana are now all set to make a move for their primary centre-forward target, Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid.

First official bid incoming

Indeed, according to Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona are now preparing their first official bid to send to Atletico Madrid to sign Alvarez in the upcoming summer transfer window.

This comes after the Catalans’ sporting director, Deco, held a direct meeting with the Argentine striker’s agent earlier this week, mediated by Juanma Lopez.

Deoc moving fast in the market. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Alvarez, for his part, has informed Atletico Madrid that he wants to leave the club, having refused their offer for a contract renewal already.

The idea is for Barça to lay the groundwork for a deal before the 2026 FIFA World Cup as they anticipate other clubs might make a move for the 26-year-old forward.

€100 million limit for Alvarez

As previously reported, Barcelona see Alvarez as their primary target, but have set a specific limit of €100 million for his signing.

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid do not want to let the Argentine join a direct rival and are holding out for a fee of around €150 million.

Alvarez has told Atletico he wants to leave. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

So, negotiations between the two clubs could be complicated, although the player communicating his desire to leave could help accelerate matters.

For now, the La Liga champions are all set to launch their opening offer for Alvarez, with official talks set to get underway between them and Atletico.