Alvarez confirms he wants Atletico exit as Barcelona close in on £100m star

Julian Alvarez has publicly confirmed he wants to leave Atletico Madrid, with Barcelona emerging as the frontrunners to sign the Argentina forward in the summer transfer window.

Speaking to ESPN after Argentina’s 2-0 World Cup 2026 qualifier win against Austria on Monday, the 26-year-old left little room for ambiguity. “This isn’t the time to talk about this but I can’t hide it,” Alvarez said. “I try to be an honest person. I spoke with Atletico de Madrid, and I think a transfer is the best option. I want to fulfil my dream.”

Alvarez joined Atletico from Manchester City two summers ago and has been a consistent performer in the Spanish capital, scoring 49 goals in 106 appearances across all competitions. Before that, he netted 20 times in 67 Premier League matches for City, where he also won the Champions League under Pep Guardiola.

Despite that productivity, speculation over his future has intensified throughout the current window. Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain have all been linked, though it is the Catalans who appear to hold the strongest hand. According to The Athletic, Alvarez is Barcelona’s number one transfer target and the club are expected to submit a new offer in the coming weeks.

Real Madrid’s interest became entangled in the club’s recent presidential election, with Atletico publicly dismissing any suggestion that they had received or considered a bid from Florentino Perez. In a statement posted on X, Atleti issued what they described as ‘clarifications’, one of which was that no offer for Alvarez had been entertained.

Premier League champions Arsenal were also understood to have held an interest in the forward. The connection is not coincidental — Alvarez’s move to the Metropolitano was largely facilitated by Andrea Berta, who has since become Arsenal’s sporting director.

A move to Barcelona would give Alvarez the opportunity to win La Liga with a second different club, having already claimed the title in England and Argentina. He also won the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar in 2022, scoring four goals in the tournament, and will be hoping to add to his 14 international goals when the 2026 edition gets underway in North America this summer.

Atletico Madrid had not responded to Alvarez’s comments at the time of publication.