Barcelona are preparing an increased bid for Argentina striker Julian Alvarez while privately setting a deadline of 31 July to conclude talks with Atletico Madrid, according to Spanish reports.
The Catalan club, who lost Robert Lewandowski at the end of last season, have made the 24-year-old their priority to lead the attack but are facing fierce resistance from Atletico, who are refusing to sell despite the player’s desire to move.
Barca have already tabled an opening offer of €100m (£84m), a proposal club president Joan Laporta has insisted will not remain on the table indefinitely. The Spanish champions are now expected to return with a new bid worth between €120m and €130m as they try to break the impasse.
Atletico dig in over star striker
Atletico Madrid’s chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin has taken a hard line in public, flatly rejecting suggestions the club might soften its stance over Alvarez’s future.
“لم نقبل عرض الـ 100 مليون يورو، ولن نقبل عرض الـ 150 مليون يورو او الـ 200 مليون يورو,” he said recently, insisting that neither the €100m offer nor significantly higher proposals will be entertained.
Despite reports that Real Madrid were at one stage prepared to go as high as €150m for the Argentina international, Atletico remain adamant that Alvarez is not for sale this summer.
The forward, who has become one of La Liga’s most coveted players, has made clear he is open to a move away from the Spanish capital, but his contractual situation leaves Atletico in a position of strength.
Barcelona’s escalating offer – but clear limits
Journalist Santi Ovalle told Cadena SER’s programme “El Larguero” that Barcelona’s next move is already mapped out.
“سيقدم نادي برشلونة عرضا جديدا، وان لم يكن ذلك قريبا. انه عرض يتراوح بين 120 و130 مليونا، لانهم لم يرغبوا في الوصول الى مبلغ 150 مليونا الذي عرضه ريال مدريد في اي وقت مضى,” he said.
That strategy underlines Barca’s determination to secure a high-profile replacement for Lewandowski while signalling that there is a ceiling to what they are prepared to spend, even in an inflated market for elite forwards.
Internally, the club have circled 31 July as the final date by which they want clarity on whether a deal is possible. If no agreement is reached by then, sporting director Deco is expected to pivot towards alternative targets, with work on other transfer options already under way.
Time pressure and pre-season plans
Barcelona’s urgency is sharpened by the calendar. The club want their new first-choice striker in place as early as possible ahead of the new campaign to integrate him into Hansi Flick’s system and pre-season schedule.
Atletico, however, have already informed Alvarez that he is expected to report for pre-season on 10 August following his participation with Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final.
That date gives the Madrid club additional leverage, as they can plan under the assumption the striker will return unless a bid reaches a level they consider irresistible – a threshold they have so far publicly denied exists.
First-choice target under time constraint
Despite the deadlock, Barcelona continue to view Alvarez as their primary attacking target for the summer transfer window and are prepared to stretch financially to secure his signing.
Yet by setting a firm internal deadline and working in parallel on other possible signings, the Spanish champions are attempting to avoid being drawn into a prolonged saga that could undermine their broader squad planning.
With Atletico entrenched, the player keen on a move and Barcelona racing against time, the next fortnight is likely to determine whether one of the transfer window’s biggest potential deals materialises – or whether the Catalan club are forced to turn elsewhere to fill the void left by Lewandowski.
