Barcelona faces demanding price for Alvarez

Spanish press reports have revealed that Barcelona is planning to sign Argentine striker Julian Alvarez, the star of Atletico Madrid, as a future replacement for veteran Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, in light of the remarkable brilliance of the Polish striker since his transfer to "Rojiblancos" from Manchester City in the summer of 2024. The Spanish newspaper "Sport" highlighted that Deco, Barcelona's sporting director, considers Alvarez the most suitable option to lead the team's attack in the long term, especially after his distinguished performances in recent matches, most notably his two goals in Atletico's resounding 5-2 victory over Real Madrid in the capital derby, in the seventh round of the Spanish League. Despite Barcelona's great interest in the Argentine star, the newspaper indicated that the task of signing him will be extremely complicated, as the Atletico Madrid management shows no willingness to let go of one of the team's most important stars, and the player's market value has doubled since joining from City for more than 90 million euros. According to reports, Atletico Madrid may demand around €200 million to agree to the sale of Alvarez, a sum Barcelona will find difficult to afford given the club's financial crisis for years, which has recently forced it to rely on low-cost signings or free transfers. Signing a new striker is a priority for Barcelona in the summer of 2026, especially with Lewandowski's contract coming to an end and the player turning 37, with no clear intention of renewing his contract at Camp Nou. Alvarez, 25, is under contract with Atletico Madrid until 2030. He has made 64 appearances for the team so far in all competitions, scoring 35 goals and providing nine assists.