Barca won't give up on Arsenal target Alvarez
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- Barcelona have kept their £100m offer for Julian Alvarez on the table and could raise it to over £110m (€130m) plus bonuses after the World Cup, president Joan Laporta confirmed on July 14.
- Atletico Madrid rejected a £130m (€150m) bid from Real Madrid for Alvarez in June, with CEO Miguel Gil Marín accusing Barcelona of "disrespecting us" as the relationship between the clubs hit "an all-time low."
- Julian Alvarez dreams of signing for Barcelona and his family want to continue living in Spain — a preference Sky Sports News reports is the central obstacle blocking Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain from landing the Argentina World Cup star.
- Arsenal and PSG are effectively fighting a cultural battle they appear to be losing: Alvarez and his family are "not keen" on relocating to England or France, leaving Barca as the only realistic destination among the suitors.
- Privately, Atletico Madrid are understood to be more open to selling Alvarez to Arsenal or PSG than to Barcelona, but only if the striker himself demands to leave the Metropolitano.
Why it matters: Alvarez's stated preference for Barcelona and Spain effectively prices Arsenal and PSG out of the race, giving Laporta leverage even as Atletico publicly stonewall him — but the Catalan president has warned the £100m-plus offer is "not open-ended," meaning Barca could walk away if Atletico fail to find a replacement striker after the World Cup.
