Barcelona regrets refusing to sign Alvarez

Press reports indicate that Spanish club Barcelona missed the opportunity to sign Argentine striker Julian Alvarez, the current Atletico Madrid star, when he was playing for Argentine club River Plate in 2021, before he later moved to English club Manchester City. During the last summer transfer window, Atletico Madrid succeeded in signing Alvarez (25 years old) from Manchester City, after the player requested to leave due to his lack of regular appearances under Pep Guardiola. The deal was completed for €75 million, in addition to €15 million in incentives and bonuses, with the player signing a contract until 2030. Spanish newspaper Relevo reported that Barcelona had rejected a €22 million bid for Alvarez when he was at River Plate in 2021, preferring instead to pay €60 million to sign Ferran Torres from Manchester City, who is currently playing as a replacement for Polish striker Robert Lewandowski. The newspaper added that Enzo Francescoli, River Plate's technical secretary, had advised Barcelona's management to sign Alvarez, but the Catalan club opted to sign Ferran Torres, giving Manchester City the opportunity to sign the Argentine striker the following year. The newspaper confirmed that Julian Alvarez's impressive performances with Atletico Madrid this season will make Barcelona regret missing out on signing him in 2021, especially given his impressive performances in various competitions.