In what could be a big boost to FC Barcelona’s transfer plans, journalist Pedro Fullana of Cadena SER reports that Atletico Madrid are starting to believe that Julian Alvarez could leave the club in the summer.
It is no secret that the Argentine international is one of Barcelona’s top targets heading into the summer transfer window, with the club on the lookout for a quality centre-forward.
However, the probability of a move for the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner was seen as low due to Atletico’s reluctance to sell as well as the finances that would be involved in the operation.
Atletico could consider sale
Now, though, the scenario has seemingly changed slightly as Atletico Madrid believe that Alvarez could be angling for a summer exit.
Those within the Los Rojiblancos’ camp think that the striker’s entourage has ‘stirred’ him into considering the possibility of a departure from the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
There may have already been contacts between the player’s camp and Barcelona, while other teams like Arsenal and PSG are also keeping a close eye on the situation.
However, at this point, no club has directly approached Atletico Madrid to negotiate a transfer for the South American.
Nonetheless, the report states that if a huge offer comes around, the Colchoneros could consider a sale in the summer.
This represents a change in the stance from the Spanish club, who, up until this point, had maintained that he was not for sale and were even considering renewing his contract.
It certainly leaves the door open for Barcelona, although the financial aspect of the operation will still be a challenge as Atletico will seek a fee in excess of €100 million for their ace goalscorer.
