Atletico boss Simeone acknowledges interest in Julian Alvarez from Barcelona, Arsenal, and PSG
worldsoccertalk.com · last week
Atletico Madrid head coach acknowledged the interest Julian Alvarez has drawn from Barcelona, Arsenal, and PSG. Julian Alvarez has emerged as one of the most coveted players heading into the upcoming transfer window, with FC Barcelona, Arsenal and PSG all reported to be in pursuit of the Argentine star. As the speculation continues to build, Atletico Madrid head coach Diego “Cholo” Simeone has publicly acknowledged the interest in his striker from Europe’s elite clubs. Currently in the UEFA Champions League semifinal, Alvarez has been one of the primary reasons the Colchoneros are just one step away from the final. But Atletico‘s inability to compete across all fronts has fueled interest from clubs eager to bring in one of the most complete players in the game. At the pre-match press conference ahead of the semifinal against Arsenal, Simeone was asked directly about the possibility of his striker leaving at the end of the season. “I am not inside Julian Alvarez’s head. I understand it is normal for an extraordinary player like Julian to be wanted by Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, or Barcelona. It’s normal, because he is very good,” the Argentine coach said. Simeone stopped short of either confirming or ruling out a departure, though extracting Alvarez from the Metropolitano figures to be a significant challenge for any suitor. With his contract running through June 2030, any club looking to sign him would need to surpass the €104 million Atletico paid Manchester City to bring him to Madrid. Julian Alvarez of Atletico de Madrid runs with the ball whilst under pressure from Duje Caleta-Car of Real Sociedad. According to reporter Ben Jacobs, Atletico will push hard to keep Alvarez beyond this summer, valuing him at a figure north of the €120 million Barcelona paid for Antoine Griezmann in 2019. While the striker has no intention of forcing his way out, he would be open to a move to Barcelona if the two clubs were able to reach an agreement. Alvarez has already addressed his future Reports linking Alvarez with Barcelona, Arsenal and PSG are nothing new, with those connections surfacing even during his time at Manchester City, largely centered on how the Argentine would fit into each club’s system. The striker himself, however, has made his current priorities crystal clear. On Monday, Alvarez made it plain that his mind is firmly on the present and the challenges that lie ahead with Atletico. “I try not to give much importance to what they say, because the truth is that new things come out every week. I try not to waste energy on that. I try to focus on our situation here, with very important matches coming up. I want to be at my best to try and help the team and achieve great things here,” he said. What is Alvarez’s price tag? With four years remaining on his deal and a release clause set at 500 million euros, the scenarios in which Alvarez departs Atletico Madrid this summer are limited. FC Barcelona’s financial situation remains precarious, Arsenal have already committed enormous sums in recent windows, and PSG stand out as perhaps the most credible financial option among the reported suitors. As revealed by journalist Jose Alvarez on El Chiringuito, Atletico Madrid have set an asking price of €120 million for the striker. Across two seasons with the Colchoneros, Alvarez has made 104 appearances, scoring 48 goals, though he has yet to lift a trophy with the club, a fact that could weigh on his thinking as he considers whether his ambitions are best served by staying or moving on.
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