Atletico Madrid has set a new price for Julian Alvarez after fans booed him, sending a clear message to Arsenal.
Atletico Madrid have set a new high price for Julian Alvarez after his own fans gave him a tough time on Sunday.
Earlier this summer, Alvarez said he wanted to leave Atleti and is interested in joining La Liga champions Barcelona. On Sunday, he made his first appearance in a 2-2 draw with Villarreal at the Metropolitano Stadium, but the home fans booed and whistled loudly.
When his name was announced, the boos were really loud. Video showed the former Manchester City player looking quite uncomfortable while sitting on the bench. When he came on in the 66th minute, he was met with more boos. The club even told him to avoid going near the fans afterward and instead walk straight down the tunnel while his teammates clapped. An Atletico scarf was thrown at his feet, making the fans’ feelings clear about the 26-year-old.
Atletico insists Alvarez isn’t for sale and won’t do business with Barcelona, who want him as their top striker after Robert Lewandowski left. But The Athletic, citing club insiders, reports Atletico might consider offers around €150 million (£128 million) for the Argentina star.
A source close to the club said the only way Alvarez would be sold is if Arsenal meets that price. Arsenal is interested but hasn’t made an official offer yet, and it seems they aren’t ready to pay that amount.
Arsenal spoke with both Atleti and Alvarez’s side recently, but Alvarez doesn’t seem very keen on returning to the Premier League. His dream is to play for Barcelona, and Arsenal would need to know he’s open to joining them to push talks forward.
After the Villarreal game, Atletico coach Diego Simeone talked about the situation: “I’m here to focus on my work, which is to give my best for Atletico Madrid. To win titles, we need to be united and have strong forwards. That’s what we have to work on.”
Meanwhile, Barcelona started their La Liga season with a 5-0 win over Elche, even without a top striker. Raphinha and Fermin Lopez scored twice each, and new signing Karim Adeyemi scored in his first game. Another new player, Anthony Gordon, who can also play upfront, helped with two assists.
Inter Milan’s captain, Lautaro Martinez, is Barcelona’s main backup option if Alvarez doesn’t join. However, Inter is not keen on selling their player.