Barcelona shift complete focus on Julian Alvarez operation with World Cup over | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are redirecting their entire focus toward resolving the transfer saga surrounding Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez, reports journalist Achraf Ben Ayad.

Following the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup, the Catalan club’s sporting department has designated the upcoming days as absolutely crucial for determining whether the Argentina international can be realistically signed before the upcoming domestic campaign.

Deadlock with Atletico Madrid

The board of directors, led by president Joan Laporta, has entered an intensive operational window aimed exclusively at breaking the current deadlock with Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona have submitted an opening offer valued at €100 million in guaranteed fixed payments plus add-ons.

However, senior executives at the Metropolitano have publicly rejected this initial approach, stating that the striker is entirely unavailable for transfer.

Barcelona’s priority target. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

Despite that, Barcelona’s leadership believes that a definitive answer regarding Atletico’s willingness to negotiate will emerge within the next week.

The technical staff considers Alvarez to be the primary long-term successor to Robert Lewandowski.

The player’s tactical profile, specifically his ability to press aggressively from the front and make the most of the spaces between defensive lines, perfectly matches the tactical blueprint mapped out for Hansi Flick’s team.

Consequently, the Blaugrana are dedicating all their current focus and financial planning to testing Atletico Madrid’s resolve.

Contingencies in place

Negotiations with Atleti have proven complicated. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Despite their complete commitment to securing the Argentine striker, the Camp Nou hierarchy has established strict operational boundaries.

As already reported, Barcelona have set a definitive internal deadline of 31 July to see concrete progress or a strategic breakthrough in talks.

Laporta has openly cautioned that the validity of Barcelona’s high-value proposal is not unlimited, signaling that the club will not allow its summer squad planning to be derailed by an endless negotiation process.

If Atletico Madrid maintain their absolute refusal to negotiate, or if no new positive developments occur before the end of the month, Barcelona will officially abandon the pursuit.

Deco, the club sporting director, is already actively evaluating market alternatives to ensure the club has a high-calibre alternative ready to act upon should their primary pursuit collapse.