Julian Alvarez has added to speculation about his own Barcelona ambitions after reacting to Manchester City’s first farewell video for Rodri, who has officially completed his move to the Catalan club.
The Atletico de Madrid striker clicked “like” on the video, which showed highlights from Rodri’s seven-year spell at the Etihad Stadium. The gesture was small but notable given Alvarez’s ongoing attempts to leave Atletico and secure a move to Barcelona.
Manchester City published the video on its social-media accounts with the message: “Thank you, Rodri 🩵”.
According to Spanish newspaper Sport, Alvarez’s reaction came at a particularly sensitive moment because Rodri has achieved the move the Argentina international has been trying to secure for several months.
Rodri had made clear that he wanted a new challenge after ending his time at Manchester City. The Premier League club subsequently reached an agreement with Barcelona for the midfielder to join the Spanish side.
Alvarez, by contrast, remains at Atletico despite his stated desire to change clubs and fulfil his ambition of playing for Barcelona.
The forward outlined his position during the World Cup, saying: “The best thing for both parties is to make the move, and I want to fulfil my dream.” He did not name Barcelona directly at the time.
Barcelona have continued working to create the conditions for a deal, while Atletico have maintained their opposition to allowing Alvarez to leave easily. The transfer therefore remains complicated, although the player’s wish to depart and make Barcelona his preferred destination has not changed.
Rodri’s move follows Ferran Torres’ departure
The significance of Alvarez’s reaction is also linked to his previous relationship with Rodri at Manchester City.
The two players were team-mates during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, sharing the dressing room during one of the most successful periods of Rodri’s career.
In 2024, Rodri won the Premier League with Manchester City before playing a central role in Spain’s European Championship triumph. He ended the year by being awarded the Ballon d’Or.
Two years later, he is beginning a new challenge with Barcelona, while Alvarez finds himself in a very different situation after Atletico’s position disrupted his hopes of moving to the Catalan club.
City have marked the departure of their former star with a series of posts and videos celebrating his time at the club. Alongside the farewell footage, the club published a message from Rodri to its supporters, an image of him with the Ballon d’Or, a design featuring all of the trophies he won, and a collection of photographs from his Manchester City career.
Alvarez’s “like” was placed on the first video released by the English club as part of its tribute to Rodri.
The interaction has been interpreted as an indirect reminder of the contrasting paths taken by the two players. Manchester City previously agreed to Alvarez’s departure when the striker decided it was time for a new experience and joined Atletico. He now faces a more difficult route in attempting to return to Barcelona and realise his preferred move.
Rodri was also asked about Alvarez’s situation during his presentation as a new Barcelona player, but the midfielder declined to discuss the details of his former team-mate’s future.
“I do not usually talk about players who do not belong to the club. I can only say that he is a very good player and can add a lot to any team because he is one of the best players,” Rodri said.
He added: “I know Deco and his team are working to build the best possible squad, and that is down to them.”
