Julian Alvarez’s next club: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal options RANKED | OneFootball

Julian Alvarez has become the latest footballer to throw his toys out of the pram after declaring that he wants to leave Atletico Madrid this summer.

Alvarez used Argentina’s World Cup win as a platform to voice his unhappiness at being forced to stay at a club paying him €240,385 a week.

“I spoke with the people at [Atletico] I needed to speak with, and the best thing for everyone is a transfer,” he said. “I want to fulfil my dream.”

“It’s ‌not the time ‌to talk about this, but I also can’t ‌hide it. I try to be an honest person.”

So with the cat out of the bag, here is our ranking of the five options of where Alvarez could be playing his football come next season.

5. Real Madrid

Real Madrid have already put in a very public €150m offer but that seems like it was just for show and a bid to boost Florentino Perez’s presidential candidacy.

With him now elected as president, Madrid should focus on actual transfer targets because the arrival of Alvarez into an already full front line makes no sense for team nor player.

4. PSG

Champions League holders PSG have been linked with the 26-year-old but it is hard to see where he would fit into the team.

PSG already have possibly the best front line in the world consisting of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue with Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos waiting in the wings.

Why then would they feel the need to spend north of €100m for a player with no obvious starting spot? That feeling should be shared by Alvarez who should see moving to PSG as a serious risk to his minutes on the pitch.

3. Arsenal

If Atletico are resigned to losing Alvarez then their preference would be to sell him abroad rather than to a direct rival, which is where Arsenal could benefit.

Arsenal have long had an interest in the player and he would make a welcome addition to their striking options but according to Fabrizio Romano, the player has said thanks but no thanks as he would prefer another move.

Should that other move become less and less likely, Alvarez may change his mind about a return to the Premier League and as league champions short of a world-class striker, Arsenal would be a smart move.

2. Stay at Atletico

Publicly at least, Atletico have made it very clear – €500m or no deal.

That figure is obviously unrealistic but that is the point of it and so unless Atletico yield, Alvarez will remain at the club.

Saying one thing publicly and doing deals privately is not unusual for a football club so the cooler minds – unlike the ones in charge of the social media accounts – may recognise that it is best to sell an asset that wants to leave while his value is still high.

But if Atletico believe Alvarez will continue to be a professional should a move not materialise, they may tell him he’s staying.

1. Barcelona

Every report and story around this saga has always been consistent with one element – the only club Alvarez wants to join is Barcelona.

In his bombshell mixed zone interview, Alvarez said he wants “to fulfil ⁠my dream” and you get the feeling he would not have gone public had he not been told by Barcelona that was the only way to get Atletico to play ball.

Having already rejected a bid of €150m and previously mocked Barcelona for the way they do business, it is going to take an enormous figure to even get the Madrid side to the negotiating table.

Atletico have already come out and said they will not sell for anything less than his €500m release clause.

However, according to Barcelona-based newspaper Sport, Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin was pictured in Barcelona yesterday, which is either a sign of negotiations or an awkwardly timed holiday.

As we saw with Alexander Isak last summer, when a player throws the toys out of the pram, it seems likely to only ever end one way and right now, Alvarez being a Barcelona player come the first day of next season seems the most plausible of all the options.