FC Barcelona is pursuing Argentine forward Julián Álvarez during the 2026 summer transfer window, sparking a heavy negotiation battle with Atlético de Madrid while Manchester City monitors the situation due to lucrative sell-on clauses.
According to Marca, the negotiations between Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid represent a long-standing market trend.
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Seven players have changed shirts between the clubs over the last 13 years, including David Villa, Arda Turan, Antoine Griezmann, Luis Suárez, Memphis Depay, João Félix, and Clément Lenglet.
Saviola Backs Álvarez Move
Former Barcelona forward Javier Saviola publicly backed the potential transfer during an interview on Catalunya Ràdio's 'Tot gira' program.
He detailed why the target fits the Catalan club's style perfectly.
"The Barça is the ideal place for Julián Álvarez," stated Saviola.
He emphasized that the 26-year-old international is highly versatile and capable of adapting to multiple positions across the front line under different tactical demands.
"He is not the typical lethal scorer.
I see him as very complete, he can play as a winger, as a playmaker, as a midfielder...
Not only do you see the scorer, but you see he is technically very good," Saviola said.
The former player added that the current squad context at Spotify Camp Nou would help maximize the attacker's productivity.
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"Barça is the ideal team, it can allow him to enter more into the game, he would be surrounded by great players, giving a very high performance," he added.
