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The summer transfer window is entering its final stretch, and one name is drawing all the attention: Julian Alvarez. The Argentine striker from Atlético Madrid has made it known to his management that he wants to join FC Barcelona, reports the Hindustan Times this August 11. On the other side, the Catalan club would be willing to put 100 million euros on the table, according to Foot Mercato. One major obstacle remains: Atlético, which is blocking. A tug of war is underway between the player and a Madrid management that has no intention of selling one of its most highly valued assets at a discount.
Alvarez, a world champion that Barça wants at all costs
Arriving in Madrid from Manchester City two seasons ago, Julian Alvarez (26 years old) is coming off a successful 2026 World Cup with Argentina.
Arriving in Madrid from Manchester City two seasons ago, Julian Alvarez (26 years old) is coming off a successful 2026 World Cup with Argentina. A scorer, creator, and mobile across the entire attacking front, he matches point by point the profile that Hansi Flick has checked in red on his diagram: a successor to Robert Lewandowski, who will turn 38 in two weeks. Barça, crowned with its Liga title celebrated in Castelldefels, no longer hides its ambition to strengthen a squad built for the Champions League. Alvarez embodies the missing link between the ball possession so dear to the German coach and efficiency in front of goal.
If Atlético maintains its veto, the Catalan management has a Plan B in the wings: Lautaro Martinez. The 28-year-old Inter player, who scored 17 goals in Serie A last season, presents the same profile of a complete number nine. AC Milan, for its part, will not hold back Youssouf Fofana. Arriving in Lombardy last summer, the French midfielder never convinced, and a move to the Premier League or Bundesliga is on the horizon. Two leads, two fallbacks: Barcelona does not want to find itself without a world-class striker when the market closes.
Badiashile-Naples, Pavard-OM: the French at the heart of negotiations
At Chelsea, Benoît Badiashile (25 years old) is close to a loan with an option to buy to Naples. The deal, valued at around 23 million euros by Transferfeed, would send the central defender back to Serie A, a league he had left as a teenager to join AS Monaco. A return to his roots for a player who never really broke through in the Blues' bloated squad.
Benjamin Pavard (30 years old) could also change scenery. Olympique de Marseille is discussing a paid loan with an option to buy around 15 million euros with Inter Milan. The 2018 world champion, capable of playing both centrally and on the right, would offer Roberto De Zerbi a versatility that the Marseille squad sorely lacks. On the departure side, Elye Wahi (23 years old) is attracting interest from a German club. Arriving at OM in August 2024 for 25 million euros, the former Lens player never achieved the undisputed starter status he was aiming for. Marseille, in the midst of restructuring under De Zerbi, will not hold anyone back against a substantial check.
Vlahovic waits, the market grows impatient
Dusan Vlahovic, for his part, is waiting in the wings. Once linked to Barça, the Serbian from Juventus sees the endless Alvarez saga delaying the outcome of his own case. Less than three weeks before the market closes, the European transfer window resembles a game of Mikado: every piece you try to pull out makes the others tremble. For Alvarez, Martinez, Pavard, Wahi, or Badiashile, decisions will be made in the coming days—or they won't. The management teams know that after August 31, they will have to make do with the available squad until January.