Atletico Madrid fans could be in for a long summer, and not exclusively due to Sporting Director Mateu Alemany’s plans. The constant speculation that has been surrounding star forward Julian Alvarez continues, and is showing no signs of letting up.
That has primarily centred around Barcelona, who have made little secret of their interest in signing Alvarez as their preferred replacement for Robert Lewandowski. The latest on their desire to do so is that they expect Alvarez to manifest a desire to leave, before making a definitive move themselves.
Just chilling. 🧘
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) May 11, 2026
Two other names have frequently come up in conjunction with Alvarez, those being Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal. As per Gaston Edul, PSG will make an attempt to sign Alvarez this summer. It is explained that their interest in the Argentina international is long-standing, and they tried to sign him when he was leaving Manchester City. They intend to sound out the possibility of a deal, and will make a move this summer if they see it as feasible.
PSG siempre quiso a Julián Álvarez. No es un interés nuevo. Lo quiso desde que estaba en Manchester City y él estaba por salir. En este mercado, como en los anteriores, sondean y van a hacer un intento.
— Gastón Edul (@gastonedul) May 11, 2026
For some time, Atletico have been briefing that they are not concerned about Alvarez’s future, citing the fact he is under contract until 2030. In addition, they have no intention of selling him, and if he does intend to stay, will give him a fresh deal with a significant wage hike.
🇦🇷🤕 Question: "There's so many injuries nowadays, is modern football sustainable?"
Diego Simeone: "I was speaking about it with people in football. Arriving at the World Cup with players at risk, like Lamine Yamal, is a real shame. A World Cup means so much, and players are…
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) May 11, 2026
Were he to express a desire to leave, then Atletico would first and foremost look to sell Alvarez abroad, preferring not to deal him to a direct rival in Barcelona. Provided Alvarez does not have a strong preference to sign for Barcelona, that would appear to give Arsenal and PSG an advantage, albeit in a race that has not yet started. It remains unclear if Alvarez has a desire to leave yet.
