Amid the drama surrounding a possible summer transfer, Julian Alvarez has now spoken out—and made his position very clear. The 26-year-old forward wants to leave Atlético Madrid.
At the World Cup in Qatar, Julian Alvarez—then just 22 years old—was one of the key factors in Argentina’s title win, contributing four goals and one assist to the triumph and earning a perfect 1.0 rating for his outstanding performance in the 3-0 victory over Croatia in the semifinals. Four years later, however, as the team seeks to defend its title, the now 26-year-old striker has so far made two lackluster to disappointing substitute appearances for the Albiceleste and is clearly overshadowed by five-goal scorer Lionel Messi.
Could the ongoing reports surrounding him be the reason Alvarez hasn’t yet been able to make his mark on the World Cup? For months, rumors have swirled around the Atlético Madrid striker, for whom city rival Real Madrid made a 150-million-euro offer shortly before the World Cup began—though Real’s eternal rival, FC Barcelona, is particularly hopeful of securing his services.
And Álvarez? He’s kept a low profile in recent weeks, focusing on World Cup preparations after a strong season with the Rojiblancos (10 goals and 4 assists in the Champions League)—and then, following the 2-0 victory over Austria on Matchday 2 of the World Cup, made it unmistakably clear that, despite having a contract through 2030, he doesn’t see his future in an Atlético jersey.
“I try to be an honest person”
“I don’t think this is the right time to talk about it, but I can’t hide or pretend nothing’s going on,” Alvarez told ESPN, offering a glimpse into his feelings. “To be honest, I try to be an honest person. And I’ve spoken openly and honestly with the people at the club I needed to talk to.” According to him, this was his message to club officials: “I believe a transfer is best for everyone, and I want to fulfill my dreams.”
Whether that dream will come true is currently hard to say. After all, there’s still a significant gap between Barça’s offer—which is now reportedly around 120 million euros—and Atlético’s stance; the club, which has the striker under contract through 2030, has so far been unwilling to budge from the 500 million euro buyout clause stipulated in his contract.