Barcelona target Julian Alvarez changes course after Atletico exit push | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have been pursuing the Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez as their top-priority target for the entirety of this summer. The Blaugranes had identified him as the most suitable candidate to replace Robert Lewandowski, but despite having worked on this operation for several months, they have not enjoyed any success because of the Colchoneros’ reluctance to negotiate for his transfer.

There has been no doubt about the player’s own preference. He has already publicly stated his desire to leave his current club to join the Catalan side, and reports indicate that he has also talked to his coach, Diego Simeone, about his desire after returning to Atletico for preseason training.

However, he was unable to achieve his desired objectives from this chat, as the Argentine coach told him that not transferring him was a club decision, and that he is counting on the star forward for the next season. Following this development, Barcelona were reported to be waiting to see what next move Alvarez would make.

In such a context, Mundo Deportivo cites the journalist Martin Talavera to report that the player is already admitting to his teammates at Atletico Madrid that he made a mistake asking publicly for a transfer, and that he is totally committed to his current club. Furthermore, he has been training normally with the rest of his teammates.

The CEO of the Colchonero club has already made it clear that his club will not negotiate with any Spanish club for his transfer. Thus, there are two ways forward for the Argentine striker, i.e., either stay at Atletico Madrid or to join another club outside of Spain.

For now, Julian Alvarez continues to train with Atletico Madrid ahead of the next season. He has not been included in the squad for the friendly against Olympique Marseille, as he returned from his holidays only a few days ago, and still needs some time to get back to his best level.