Barcelona discover cost of signing Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid | OneFootball

Barcelona are beginning to realise the true scale of the challenge involved in signing Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid this summer.

According to journalist Matteo Moretto in an update for MARCA, any potential operation involving the Argentine striker would cost between €100 million and €130 million, making the deal one of the most financially demanding transfers on the market.

The journalist further states that Atletico Madrid have absolutely no intention of selling one of the key figures in Diego Simeone’s project. 

In fact, they continue to view Alvarez as untouchable and are already working towards extending his current contract.

There are more problems

Perhaps even more problematic for Barcelona in this pursuit is the player’s position.

Alvarez is reportedly very happy in Madrid, fully settled at Atletico and not currently pushing for a transfer away from the club. 

According to the latest information, if the Argentine ever wanted to leave, he would first need to communicate that desire directly to Atletico’s hierarchy, something that has not happened so far.

The journalist also reveals that no club has officially contacted Atletico Madrid regarding the striker yet, despite growing interest from across Europe.

Barcelona and PSG are interested

Julian Alvarez is happy at Atletico Madrid. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

In that context, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are both closely monitoring the situation, but Atletico’s valuation is already making the operation look extremely complicated for any potential buyer.

For Barcelona specifically, the numbers involved represent a major obstacle.

The Catalan club have identified Alvarez as one of their absolute priority targets, but their financial limitations make a deal of this magnitude extremely difficult to execute.

Even before the latest valuation emerged, there was already an understanding that convincing Atletico Madrid to negotiate would not be easy. That feeling is now becoming even stronger.

At the same time, Barcelona are also facing another major problem in the race: PSG.

The French champions are financially far stronger than Barça and are reportedly prepared to invest over €100 million if they decide to push seriously for the striker. 

For now, though, Atletico Madrid remain calm, believing that they are in complete control of the situation because the player is happy.