Atletico Madrid star distances himself from Barcelona talk | OneFootball

Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez has been linked to Barcelona over recent months on a number of occasions, but the World Cup-winner has assured that he is focused on his current club. The Blaugrana are looking for a successor to Robert Lewandowski.

Over the summer, Alvarez was cited as one of Barcelona’s top targets, and President Joan Laporta’s preferred option. His agent left the door open to a move in 2026, but more recently, it has been claimed that the Catalan side have cooled their interest.

Speaking in an interview with Marca, Alvarez said he was aware of the speculation.

“Look, it doesn’t bother me. I try not to pay much attention, but I know what’s being said. It’s all over social media. I think it’s more what’s being said online than what’s actually happening. I’m very focused on this season, on what lies ahead with Atletico Madrid. So, I try to tune it out and think about myself, about continuing to grow as a player, and about winning.”

Discussions with Tottenham’s Cristian Romero

Meanwhile another player that Atletico Madrid were pursuing in the summer was Tottenham Hotspur’s Cristian Romero, an international teammate of Alvarez. He confirmed that they had talked about a potential move.

“Yes, yes. Obviously I would have liked it to happen, Cuti is one of the best defenders in the world. I share time with him on the national team and I really think he’s a star, a fierce competitor, very strong defensively. And yes, I had some conversations with him and due to some details it didn’t work out, but hopefully one day we can play together.”

Image via James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images

Atletico Madrid’s fall last season and outlook for the future

Last season Atletico were in contention for three competitions in March, but in the space of a month, their aspirations collapsed. The Argentina forward was asked for his assessment on those final months of the year.

“Yes, I think everyone takes stock. But, as I was saying, in those final months when everything is decided, in the end it’s the details that count. Last season we had some league matches where we dropped points that knocked us out of the title race. Then, in the Champions League, we all know what unfortunately happened. In the Cup, we lost the semi-final, but we competed well, and that’s what I was saying about focusing on the small things that ultimately make the difference.”

Image via AFP7 / Europa Press

Apollo have recently become a majority investor in Atletico Madrid, in a deal that values the club at €2.5b. As they look to grow the club, both Diego Simeone and Sporting Director Mateu Alemany have made it clear they want to make Alvarez the face of that growth. Alvarez himself was positive about the Atletico trajectory.

“Yes, I think that nowadays we’re in a position to compete with anyone, and as I was saying before, the club has been growing a lot. In this last transfer window, we’ve brought in many high-caliber, high-quality players, and I think that, looking ahead, the club still has room for improvement.”