Barcelona great drops Julián Álvarez transfer hint: «Very close» | OneFootball

Patrick Kluivert added fuel to the fire. The legendary former Barcelona and Netherlands striker picked Julián Álvarez as the best number nine in modern football and, in the same breath, confirmed what many had suspected: “I think they’re quite close. Quite close,” he said in an interview with the Let’s Talk channel, referring to a possible move for La Araña to Barça. His words came at the worst possible time for Atlético de Madrid, who have just seen Enrique Cerezo step in to shield his star with a message that left no room for interpretation.

The question that prompted Kluivert’s statement was simple: who would he choose in his position in modern football. The answer was direct: “I like Julián Álvarez.” And when he was asked again whether he would take him to Barcelona, the Dutchman did not hesitate: “Maybe I would, possibly. I think they’re quite close.”

The praise did not stop at the rumors. The legend also sent a direct message to Julián himself about what would await him at Barça: “If he goes to Barça, he has a very clear path. He’s going to play with many great players around him to achieve even more than what he’s achieving today with Atlético de Madrid. Because Barça is Barça.”

Kluivert’s words come in a context of maximum tension between the two clubs. Enrique Cerezo, president of Atlético de Madrid, has spent weeks cutting off at the root any rumors about Julián’s departure. In an impromptu press conference on the streets of Barcelona, ahead of the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, he was categorical: “Until I tell him to leave, Julián Álvarez is not going anywhere.”

The president was even more graphic when asked whether he could guarantee that the Argentine would stay at the club next season: “Can you guarantee that you won’t die before the end of the year?” And he closed with a phrase that sums up his position: “I’ll tell you this: he has a contract with Atlético de Madrid. I am God, and until I tell him to leave, he is not leaving.” The war of words between the two clubs is on, and Julián Álvarez, for now, remains a rojiblanco.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.