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Barcelona are not walking away from their pursuit of Julian Alvarez, even as recent reports suggested the operation had cooled. According to Sport and ‘Jijantes’, sporting director Deco and his assistant Joao Amaral have an imminent summit lined up with Fernando Hidalgo, the Argentine striker’s representative, with the meeting expected to take place in Madrid.
The push comes after Alvarez publicly made clear his desire to leave during the 2026 World Cup, a declaration that piled pressure on Atletico Madrid and reinforced the Catalan club’s belief that the forward remains their top target to reinforce the attack.
Barcelona already tested the waters with a €100 million offer during the World Cup, which Atletico rejected, and Wednesday is shaping up as a key date, with the club reportedly preparing a new, higher bid in an attempt to finally break the deadlock.
Atletico‘s resistance, however, has been unmistakable. CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin has drawn a hard line in recent weeks, stating flatly that they don’t want to sell Alvarez and rejecting the idea of a sale outright: “We won’t accept an offer of 100 million euros, nor one of 150 or 200“.
Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid. (Getty Images)
The meeting with Hidalgo is not expected to bring the deal any closer to completion, nor does it signal a radical shift in the situation — its purpose is to revisit the roadmap drawn up months ago, maintain contact between the parties and stay ready to react if the picture changes in the coming weeks.
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Still, with Joan Laporta and Deco unwilling to give up while any opening remains, the summit is another sign that Barcelona intend to exhaust every option to land Alvarez as their marquee signing of the summer.
Alvarez makes his desire to leave clear and loud
Alvarez’s own words did plenty to fuel Barcelona’s pursuit. Speaking to ESPN after Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria at the 2026 World Cup, the striker broke his silence on his future, admitting he had already discussed the situation internally at Atletico.
“I don’t think it’s the right time to talk about this, but I can’t hide or pretend otherwise either. I try to be an honest person. I spoke with the people at the club, with those I needed to talk to,” Alvarez said. “I think a transfer is best for everyone, and I want to fulfill my dream“.
The comments landed like a bombshell in Madrid, with Atletico fans reacting angrily to a player effectively asking out of the club in the middle of a World Cup. Alvarez did not name Barcelona directly in his remarks, but the destination has been an open secret, with the Argentine widely reported to see a move to Camp Nou — potentially as long-term successor to Robert Lewandowski under Hansi Flick — as the fulfillment of that dream.
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