Real Madrid convinced Atletico Madrid would sell Barcelona priority target to them – here’s why | OneFootball

Barcelona thought they had received a huge boost when Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez came out publicly and asked to be transfer-listed to secure a dream move this summer.

That pursuit has now taken another twist, with Real Madrid now convinced that Atletico Madrid will eventually sell the Argentine forward to them.

According to Josep Pedrerol on El Chiringuito TV, Real Madrid’s management believe Atletico will sell Alvarez to them.

He said, “I spoke with Real Madrid’s management today, and their answer to my question surprised me.

“I said to them: Alright, now, with what Julian [Alvarez] said, Real Madrid can also start negotiating, right? That makes sense. But at Real Madrid they said to me: Atlético will sell Julian Alvarez to us.”

Real Madrid may be making the higher offer

Pedrerol then went on to explain why he will not rule out Los Blancos. He said:

“So, the idea of ruling Real Madrid out completely… I’m not ruling them out! Because the scenario now is as follows:

“Alright, Julian, you want to leave, you’re going to leave because you can no longer stand staying here and don’t want to continue any longer, and on top of that, after the statements you’ve made, things will be very complicated here..

“Alright, you’re leaving, but the club [Atlético] wants to make money, and won’t accept less than 150 million.

Alvarez wants to leave Atletico Madrid. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

“Based on that, you have two options, or rather one option: either you stay, or you accept the only offer on the table so far worth 150 million, which is Real Madrid’s offer.

“Either stay or Real Madrid.”

Barça dream vs Madrid money

He then went on to clarify the reasons why he thinks Atletico will prefer not to sell to Barça.

He added,“We know what your dream is, which is probably to go to Barça, but you haven’t said that publicly, so no one at Real Madrid will get mad at you.

“It’s clear that Real Madrid’s offer is a viable option that’s out there, so don’t worry, at Real Madrid things will be fine.”

“Florentino Perez will say to you: Calm down, I’ll give you the shirt you’ve been wearing since you were little, it was a dream, and you made a mistake in some previous statements, but in reality you want to play for Real Madrid and haven’t said anything about the real dream.”

“Your agent is the one who messed up to look good in front of Barça fans (the Culers), but the reality is that you want to come to Real Madrid.”

“Honestly, I don’t rule out Real Madrid at all. Real Madrid now, in my opinion, is in a much better position than before, and the reason for that is the huge level of resentment and anger inside Atletico Madrid toward Barça, to the point that their enemy now is Barça and not Real Madrid.”

Barça cannot rely only on romance

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 05: Julian Alvarez of Atletico de Madrid warms up prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Semi Final Second Leg match between Arsenal FC and Atletico de Madrid at Arsenal Stadium on May 05, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

The Barça angle remains emotional and sporting.

Alvarez’s dream is widely believed to be Barcelona, even if he has not said the club’s name publicly. That silence may now be giving Madrid room to build their own narrative.

That is the danger for Barça. Desire matters, but money moves negotiations. Barcelona may go closer to €120 million or €130 million, while Madrid’s €150 million figure creates a different kind of pressure.

This is the uncomfortable truth. Alvarez may prefer the Camp Nou, but Barça still need to make Atletico listen.

Hansi Flick would love to have him in the squad. Alvarez presses, finishes, links play and brings the kind of relentless energy Flick wants from his front line.

He could replace Robert Lewandowski not only with goals, but with a completely different intensity.

Barcelona still have a real chance if Alvarez is firm and patient. However, this has all the makings of a long-drawn transfer saga that could get more uncomfortable closer to the finish line.

If Barça truly want Alvarez, this is the moment to move from confidence to action. The dream is powerful, but in this race, it may need a serious offer behind it.