In-demand Argentina forward has bids near R$1 billion 💰 | OneFootball

Julián Álvarez finally broke his scoring drought at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and did so with a STUNNER that helped Argentina qualify for the semifinals.

After a quiet start to the World Cup — in which he even lost his place in the starting lineup to Lautaro Martínez — the Atlético de Madrid forward shone by finding the top corner past goalkeeper Kobel in the second half of extra time, setting Argentina on their way to a 3-1 win over Switzerland in the quarterfinals.

The standout performance comes at the center of a real tug-of-war among European giants for his signing.

The 26-year-old recently turned down a contract renewal offer from Atleti (worth around R$ 58.5 million per season) and made it clear that he wants a fresh start.

An almost billion-dollar battle

Atlético de Madrid are protecting themselves with an exorbitant release clause: 500 million euros (around R$ 3 billion).

However, the market knows that a deal is inevitable. 

Here is the situation for each interested club:

🇪🇸 Real Madrid

Their rivals from the Spanish capital have already tested the waters with a formal offer of 150 million euros (around R$ 900 million), which Atlético rejected.

Spanish media experts, such as journalist Álex Pintanel, believe Real’s move was more of a tactic to drive up the price and disrupt Barcelona than a genuine attempt to buy him, especially since it came during the club’s election period.

🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain

Even before the World Cup, the French side were already preparing an offer between 140 million and 150 million euros.

The good institutional relationship between the PSG and Atlético boards is seen as an advantage that could help facilitate the deal.

🇪🇸 Barcelona

This is the player’s preferred destination. Julián has already publicly stated that he wants to play for the Catalan club to “fulfill his dream.”

Barça, who see the Argentine as the natural successor to Robert Lewandowski, plan to formalize a bid of between 120 million and 130 million euros (around R$ 720 million to R$ 780 million), betting that the player’s desire will weigh heavily in Atlético’s board’s final decision.

While his club future remains undecided, Julián Álvarez is keeping his focus on the Argentina national team.

The next challenge is the eagerly awaited global clash against England in the World Cup semifinals.

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

📸 ODD ANDERSEN - AFP or licensors