Julian Alvarez publicly confirms desire to leave Atletico Madrid, agrees to join Barcelona – Romano | OneFootball

This happens to be a big day for FC Barcelona and Julian Alvarez, as the Argentinian forward has publicly admitted his desire to leave Atletico Madrid. With rumors suggesting that this could end up happening, it seems that those rumors had actual substance this time around.

The South American forward, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano, recently stated after Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria that his desire is to leave Atletico Madrid this summer and that he believes that a transfer would be what is best for his career:

He went further and clarified that he has even spoken directly to the club about this:

“I want to be honest, I spoke to Atlético and I told them that clearly my desire is to leave and join a new club soon”

This comes as a massive update in relation to both Atletico Madrid and Barça, considering the fact that the two clubs currently have a tense relationship due to the operation involving Alvarez. Previously, Los Colchoneros even rejected an initial €100 million bid from Barça, but this public statement from Alvarez certainly changes things.

With even more pressure now on Atletico Madrid, La Blaugrana could use this to their advantage. Furthermore, Romano himself has stated that the player has already agreed to join the Catalan giants and that the situation is now fully dependent on what the clubs can figure out between themselves.

It is no secret that Barcelona are looking for a new striker, and while alternative options continue to be considered, Julian Alvarez has reportedly always been their top priority. Now, the ball seems to be in Barça’s court, and it will be interesting to see what they do with it.

However, the club will still need to be cautious considering how volatile Atletico Madrid can be to deal with, and playing this smartly will be key. In the coming days, perhaps La Blaugrana will need to showcase just how strategic they can be in regards to this operation.