Barcelona are closing in on a deal worth up to £69m for Newcastle star Anthony Gordon, with Hansi Flick’s side already moving towards their next goal.
Julian Alvarez is in demand (Image: Alex Caparros – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Barcelona are preparing a bid of around 100 million euros (approximately 10 billion yen) for Arsenal target Julián Alvarez after making contact with Atletico Madrid. Alvarez, 26, is next on Barça’s shopping list after they agreed a staggering €80m (about £69m) deal with Anthony Gordon.
With Marcus Rashford’s loan spell coming to an end and Robert Lewandowski turning down a new contract, the Camp Nou bosses are moving quickly to revamp their front line. And with Gordon on the verge of signing a winger, Barça want a striker to replace Lewandowski.
According to a report in The Athletic, Barcelona are in talks with Atlético, who are hoping to profit from the £82m signing from Manchester City in the summer of 2024. Alvarez is keen to join coach Hansi Flick’s team, which won La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup this year.
He added that Arsenal are also fans of the Argentine, who is set to represent his country at this summer’s World Cup. Atletico manager Diego Simeone confirmed Arsenal’s interest ahead of the teams’ Champions League semi-final first leg last month.
World Cup Legends: The stars of soccer’s biggest tournament in history – buy the special edition now
“I’m not in Julian Alvarez’s head,” Simeone said. “It’s normal that an extraordinary player like Julian Alvarez is wanted by Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona. That’s normal because he’s very good.”
Alvarez has scored 49 goals in 106 appearances since joining Atlético, including two against Barcelona this season. The 26-year-old missed the final game of the season through injury as Atlético lost 5-1 to Villarreal on the final day, dropping them to fourth place.
After the match, Simeone was again asked about Alvarez’s future. “That’s not a question for me, it’s a question for Julien,” Simeone told Movistar. “I think he’s old enough to know what he’s going to do and has already made his decision.”
Should Arsenal make a bid for Julian Alvarez? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
Barcelona are chasing Arsenal target Julian Alvarez (Image: Josep LAGO/AFP via Getty Images)
As for himself, he has not said whether he will retire or not. Alvarez said in March: “Maybe yes (to stay), maybe no. You never know. I’m very happy here.” This is a question that keeps coming up, but I’m glad to hear it.
“I’m concentrating on my day-to-day work, trying to improve and giving my all. I’ve never said anything bad about the club. I’m very grateful. People have shown me love, so I’m very happy.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+ and Ultimate TV packages
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundles to include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, plus 135 channels and complete coverage of the Premier League and EFL from Sky.
Sky has over 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more, with at least 215 of those live from the top flight, along with F1, darts and golf.
