Although Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez once again showed his prowess in the Champions League, his team suffered a heavy 0-4 defeat. The Argentine striker has clearly become the only bright spot in Los Colchoneros’ squad—he could have scored at least two goals in this game and created numerous chances. As the season progresses, his frustration in Madrid is growing.
While the player himself has always avoided talking about his future, his team has sent a signal: if Atlético’s team-building plan fails to match his title ambitions, a transfer will become an inevitable choice. Barça is closely monitoring the development of the situation, and this potential departure crisis may open a signing window for Camp Nou.
Last summer, Álvarez was convinced by Diego Simeone’s plan and joined the Cívitas Metropolitano for a transfer fee of €80 million. He chose to leave Manchester City, where he was not an absolute starter, to fulfill his goal of playing in La Liga, originally expecting to continue growing in a well-built title-contending squad. Atlético spent €175 million rebuilding its squad this summer, but new signings such as Álex Baena have been slow to integrate, and they have not yet equipped Álvarez with an ideal attacking partner.
The current Atlético is clearly unable to compete with La Liga’s top two, Real Madrid and Barça, and the heavy Champions League defeat to Arsenal has further confirmed the gap in reality. Cameras captured Álvarez’s desperate expression when the score was 0-3 and 0-4. Simeone’s decision to keep him on the pitch until the end is like a microcosm of his situation this season—it is not the first time he has publicly shown frustration; he once questioned the coach’s decision when he was substituted against Mallorca earlier.
The player and his team plan to stay put until 2026. They are grateful for Atlético’s recognition, but they are increasingly convinced that they must change clubs to achieve a leap in their career. The club insists on not selling him and is even ready to offer a salary increase to renew his contract, with a sky-high €500 million release clause. However, if the player is determined to leave, Atlético will eventually have to start negotiations.
There are voices within Los Colchoneros that they may accept a €200 million offer—only Paris Saint-Germain can afford this, and the Ligue 1 giants have indeed continued to scout the player. But the actual transfer fee will definitely fluctuate with the pressure exerted by the player. Although Barça is in urgent need of a striker and has a history of such deals (maintaining a good relationship through transactions like Clément Lenglet in the past decade), two prerequisites must be met for the move to happen: the transfer fee must drop to a reasonable range (€100 million, his current market value), and player swap clauses must be included.
As the season progresses, the possibility of Álvarez leaving Atlético is quietly increasing along with his growing frustration at the Cívitas Metropolitano.
