Real Madrid bid for Julián Alvarez rebuffed as release clauses reshape market | OneFootball

Real Madrid said they had lodged a bid of 150 million euros with neighbours Atlético for Julián Alvarez, rejected as the club pointed to his release clause. The Argentine forward’s buyout stands at 500 million euros and Madrid are not prepared to pay it.

The most emblematic example remains Neymar. In 2017 PSG paid the 222 million euros clause in his Barcelona contract, a sum that smashed market records and permanently shifted European football’s economics.

A year earlier Juventus signed Gonzalo Higuaín by triggering his 90 million euros clause at Napoli.

Athletic Club have felt its force too. In 2018 Chelsea paid Kepa Arrizabalaga’s 80 million euros clause, making him the most expensive goalkeeper at the time, and Manchester City activated Aymeric Laporte’s at 65 million euros. Both exits happened via the contractual route.

Atlético know the terrain. In 2019 Bayern Munich paid Lucas Hernández’s 80 million euros clause and Manchester City met the 70 million for Rodrigo Hernández. A year later Arsenal triggered Thomas Partey’s 50 million on the window’s final day.

Luis Figo’s 2000 switch remains the most charged, Madrid paying around 61 million euros to prise a Barcelona star and ignite the Galácticos era.

Such precedents explain why clubs set towering numbers to protect key assets. A 500 million euros clause is more barrier than market value signal, indicating a player is not for sale. Madrid will not break that line for Julián.

Source: as.com