Both Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona are reportedly keen on adding Julian Alvarez to their rosters before the summer transfer window closes. However, Barcelona holds a significant advantage: the 26-year-old Atletico Madrid striker is actively pushing, both publicly and behind the scenes, to secure a move to the Catalan club. Yet, as Luis Suarez pointed out, a transfer for Alvarez might not materialize until next year.
“A player as intelligent as Julian, with the trajectory he has followed since leaving River Plate, through Manchester City, Atletico, and also the national team, would arrive and adapt because he would know how to fulfill his role.” After Pedri expressed strong support for Julian Alvarez’s potential move to Barcelona, Luis Suarez also weighed in on the transfer speculation. The Argentine international, while with the national team during the 2026 World Cup, made clear he wants to leave Atletico Madrid to fulfill his dream of playing for Barcelona.
«It will be difficult to leave»
“He is a player who works very hard. At Barcelona, he will have wingers who create many chances for him. He has good passing and movement. He will fit right in at Barça. But there is the other side. He plays for a big club like Atletico. It will be hard to leave. The coming weeks will be exciting,” continued the former Barcelona striker who shone for the Blaugrana between 2014 and 2020. Barça certainly has the player’s preference, but not necessarily the approval of Atletico Madrid, which intends to resist his departure throughout the summer until the transfer deadline on September 1, 2026.
«Stay. Next year, you can go anywhere: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern»
PSG, which has also been interested in Julian Alvarez for two years, might miss out. But that could only be a delay. Referring to his own experience, Luis Suarez explained that he was held back at Liverpool in 2013 before leaving a year later for Barcelona. “These are situations you provoke at some point. I went through it at Liverpool. In 2013, I pushed for a move because I wanted to join Arsenal. I argued with the club because we weren’t qualifying for the Champions League and I felt I needed to take the next step. I remember the captain, Gerrard, took me aside and said: ‘Stay. Next year, you can go wherever you want: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern… But this year, please stay. You can’t go to Arsenal.’ And he convinced me. And in this specific case, the same thing could happen to Julian: Cholo might take him aside and say: ‘This year, I want you to stay with us.’ In my case, a Liverpool legend, the captain, convinced me. I listened to reason, then I came out to apologize, and it ended up being my best season at the club. The fans, even if you tried to force a departure, if you then go onto the pitch and they see you giving your all, working hard, and defending the club, they end up applauding you.”
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