Barcelona face Chelsea, Arsenal competition in the race to sign Atletico Madrid superstar | OneFootball

It is no secret that Barcelona are eyeing a big-money signing for the summer of 2026, especially when it comes to the offensive unit.

The club are keen on finding a long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski, with Julian Alvarez emerging as one of the top candidates.

However, there has been no concrete movement so far, and much of Barcelona’s pursuit still relies on the ongoing presidential election.

In that context, recent reports have suggested that Alvarez’s camp may have already spoken to some of the presidential candidates at Barça surrounding a potential move to Catalonia next summer.

However, these reports have been categorically denied by Alvarez’s agent, Fernando Hidalgo.

“We have never spoken with any candidate for the presidency of Barcelona and everything that is being said about it is not true.” he said.

Fresh competition from the Premier League

However, Barcelona may have a bigger problem at hand, as the club are facing stiff competition from Premier League clubs Arsenal and Chelsea, reports SPORT.

Julian Alvarez faces an uncertain future at Atletico Madrid. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Both Premier League clubs are also keen on getting their hands on the Argentine international, as they look for offensive reinforcements in the summer.

However, fortunately for Barça, it appears Alvarez wants to stay in La Liga, and to that end, he may fancy a move to Catalonia.

Atletico Madrid, however, have the World Cup winner tied down to a long-term contract until the summer of 2030. And having spent heavily on his signing from Manchester City in 2024, they are unlikely to let him leave in the summer.

Even in case of a potential departure, Los Rojiblancos will demand a significant fee, likely in excess of €100 million, which could become an issue for Barcelona – not so much for the Premier League teams.

The summer ahead, therefore, could be an important one for Alvarez.