Barcelona are not ready to give up on Julian Alvarez. Not yet.
Despite Atletico Madrid’s repeated public insistence that their star forward is not for sale, Barcelona are preparing to make one more serious attempt to bring the Argentine to Camp Nou.
But according to Mundo Deportivo, there is now a clear limit to how long they are willing to wait, and in that regard, the next two or three days will be decisive.
Barcelona’s sporting department wants clarity on Alvarez’s future before the weekend, which is when the club open their 2026/27 La Liga account.
If there is no breakthrough within that timeframe, the club will turn their attention towards one of the alternative strikers already being considered.
For now, however, Julian Alvarez is Plan A, and Hansi Flick sees him as the player he wants to lead the line.
Barcelona ready for one final attempt
The situation has reached this point despite Atletico making their position clear on several occasions.
Barcelona ready to make one final push for Julian Alvarez. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Both president Enrique Cerezo and CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin have publicly pushed back against the possibility of Alvarez leaving, while Diego Simeone also addressed the issue in his latest press conference.
Simeone did not include the Argentine in the squad for Wednesday’s match against Malaga, although his explanation centred on the player’s physical condition and the need for more training.
The Atletico manager also made it clear that, from a sporting perspective, he still views Alvarez as one of the key players in his squad.
Barcelona, though, have not taken those statements as the final word.
The Catalan club believe there is still a reason to keep working on the operation, particularly because Alvarez has shown a desire to wear the Barcelona shirt.
Despite these developments, the Blaugrana are no longer willing to let the saga run indefinitely.
Barcelona begin their La Liga campaign against Elche on Sunday, while the transfer window itself remains open until September 1.
Barcelona will not wait for Alvarez forever. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
Technically, there is still time to complete a deal later in the market, but Barcelona will not wait until the final hour.
Flick wants Alvarez, but…
The reason behind Barcelona’s urgency is pretty much understandable.
Signing a No. 9 is one of the major pieces of unfinished business for the club, and Flick has identified Alvarez as his preferred option.
Barcelona see the Argentine as the right fit for their attack, which is why they are willing to make another push rather than immediately moving on.
Still, there comes a point when chasing one player can begin to affect the rest of a transfer strategy.
Hence, if Atletico remain unwilling to negotiate over the next two or three days, Barcelona will activate alternative options that are already being studied.