Both Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona are reportedly keen on securing the services of Julian Alvarez before the summer transfer window closes. However, Barcelona appears to hold a significant advantage, as the 26-year-old Atlético Madrid forward is actively pushing, both publicly and behind the scenes, for a move to the Catalan giants. Despite this, as noted by football veteran Luis Suarez, Alvarez’s potential transfer might only materialize next year.
« A player as intelligent as Julian, considering his journey from River Plate, through Manchester City, Atlético, and also with the national team, would arrive and adapt because he understands his role. » Following Pedri, who had previously extended a virtual red carpet to Julian Alvarez regarding a possible transfer to FC Barcelona during an interview with RTVE, it was Luis Suarez’s turn to comment on this market hypothesis for Mundo Deportivo, a hypothesis that now seems more like a concrete possibility. The Argentine international reportedly leveraged his involvement in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with the Albiceleste to convey his desire to depart from Atlético Madrid, aiming to fulfill his « dream » of joining FC Barcelona.
«leaving will be difficult»
« He is a player who works incredibly hard. At Barcelona, he would have wingers by his side who would create numerous opportunities for him. He possesses excellent passing ability and smart movement. He would integrate immediately into Barça. But there’s another aspect to consider. He plays for a major club like Atlético. Leaving will be difficult. These upcoming weeks promise to be fascinating, » continued the former FC Barcelona striker, who enjoyed a successful period with the Blaugrana institution between 2014 and 2020. While Barcelona clearly has the player’s preference, they certainly do not have the approval of Atlético Madrid, who intend to resist any transfer attempts throughout the summer, right up until the mercato deadline on September 1, 2026.
«stay. next year, you can go wherever you want: to barcelona, real madrid, bayern»
Paris Saint-Germain, who has also shown interest in Julian Alvarez for the past two years, may therefore miss out on him this summer. However, this might only be a temporary setback. Drawing from his own experience, Luis Suarez recounted being persuaded to remain at Liverpool in 2013 before eventually leaving the club a year later for FC Barcelona.
« These are situations that arise at a certain point. I myself experienced this at Liverpool. In 2013, I pushed for a move because I wanted to join Arsenal. I had a disagreement with the club because we hadn’t qualified for the Champions League, and I felt I needed to take a new step. I remember the captain, Gerrard, took me aside and said: ‘Stay. Next year, you can go wherever you want: to Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern… But this year, please, stay. You cannot go to Arsenal.’ And he convinced me. In Julián’s specific case, the same thing could happen: Cholo could take him aside and say: ‘This year, I want you to stay with us.’ For me, it was a Liverpool legend, the captain, who convinced me. I listened to reason, then I went out to apologize, and it ended up being my best season at the club. Fans, even if we’ve done everything to force a departure, if we then step onto the field and they see us giving our all, working hard, and defending the club, they eventually applaud us. »
More Stories
Dakar children connect with marine life through whale songs for environmental protection in Senegal
Un calls for urgent donor support as drc humanitarian plan faces critical funding shortfall
JNIM escalates threats against Niamey residents in new video