Alvarez Reflects on His Decision to Join Atletico Amid Transfer Speculation

Julian Alvarez departed Manchester City last summer in pursuit of regular playing time. The 25-year-old forward made 31 league appearances during his final season at the Etihad Stadium, but often found himself sidelined when both Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland were available.

While Manchester City would have preferred to retain the Argentine striker, they opted to facilitate his transfer, consistent with their policy of allowing players who wish to leave the club to find new opportunities. This approach mirrors their handling of Leroy Sane, who was pivotal for City following his arrival from Schalke in 2016 but was sold to Bayern Munich in 2020 after their interest was made known. City took a similar stance with Alvarez, who played a crucial role in their treble-winning campaign in 2023.

Interest in Alvarez surged last summer, but Atletico Madrid ultimately secured his signature. Currently, Los Colchoneros face a challenge in retaining him, as Barcelona is reportedly keen on signing the striker. French publication L’Equipe recently inquired about Alvarez’s perspective on a potential move to either PSG or Barcelona, which are both seeking a successor to Robert Lewandowski.

Alvarez deflected transfer speculations, reaffirming his commitment to Atletico Madrid. “Do I plan on playing at Barcelona or PSG? Honestly, I don’t know,” he stated. “I see what people say on social media. In Spain, there is a lot of talk about me and Barcelona. For now, I am focused on Atletico, and we will review our options at the end of the season.”

He also articulated the reasons behind his decision to join Atletico, praising head coach Diego Simeone. “We share the same vision of football: passion, hard work, dedication, and the relentless desire to compete against formidable clubs. On the pitch, he instills confidence in me and offers total freedom; our relationship is very positive.”

Additionally, Alvarez confirmed that discussions took place between him and PSG before he chose Atletico, noting, “When I signed for Atletico, we spoke a lot about Paris. It’s true. There were discussions between the PSG hierarchy and my agent. They showed interest in signing me, but it didn’t materialize.”

Barcelona is currently reevaluating its attacking options as the club prepares for life after Lewandowski. The Polish striker joined Barcelona in 2022 and successfully translated his prolific Bundesliga form to La Liga, netting 23 league goals in his debut season. In his most recent campaign, Lewandowski recorded 27 goals, contributing significantly to Barcelona’s title win under Hansi Flick. However, he is now in the final year of his contract and has faced challenges with injury, starting only three league matches this season and scoring four goals as Barcelona struggles to defend its title.

As the situation unfolds, Barcelona finds itself five points behind league leaders Real Madrid and will be looking to make up ground during their upcoming match against Celta Vigo, while Real Madrid has the opportunity to extend their lead earlier in the day against Rayo Vallecano.