Both Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and FC Barcelona appear keen on integrating Julian Alvarez into their squads before the summer transfer window closes. However, Barcelona holds a significant advantage, as the 26-year-old Atletico Madrid forward is reportedly pushing both publicly and behind the scenes for a switch to the Catalan giants. Yet, as football icon Luis Suarez has suggested, Alvarez’s eagerly anticipated transfer might not materialize until next year.
“A player as intelligent as Julian, with the career path he’s forged since leaving River Plate, moving through Manchester City, Atlético, and also with the national team, would arrive and adapt seamlessly because he understands his role.” Following Pedri, who rolled out the red carpet for Julian Alvarez regarding his potential move to FC Barcelona in an interview, it was Luis Suarez who weighed in on this market hypothesis, which now seems more concrete than ever. The Argentine international reportedly leveraged his participation in the 2026 World Cup with the Albiceleste to openly communicate his desire to depart Atletico Madrid, aiming to fulfill his “dream” of joining FC Barcelona.
“It’s going to be difficult to leave”
“He is a player who works incredibly hard. At Barcelona, he would have wingers alongside him who would create numerous opportunities. He possesses excellent passing ability and smart movement. He would integrate into Barça immediately. But there’s the other side of the coin. He currently plays for a major club like Atlético. It’s going to be difficult for him to leave. These upcoming weeks promise to be fascinating,” continued the former FC Barcelona striker, who enjoyed a stellar career with the Blaugrana institution between 2014 and 2020. While Barça might have the player’s preference, they certainly don’t have the approval of Atletico Madrid, who are determined to resist any transfer attempts throughout the summer until the window closes, typically around September 1st.
“Stay. Next year, you’ll go wherever you want: to Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern”
PSG, who have also shown interest in Julian Alvarez for the past two years, might therefore miss out on him this time. However, this could merely be a postponement. Recalling his own experience, Luis Suarez explained how he was persuaded to remain at Liverpool in 2013 before ultimately moving to FC Barcelona a year later.
“These are situations that arise at a given moment. I myself experienced this at Liverpool. In 2013, I pushed for a departure because I wanted to join Arsenal. I had a disagreement with the club because we hadn’t qualified for the Champions League, and I felt I needed to take a new step. I remember the captain, Gerrard, took me aside and told me: ‘Stay. Next year, you’ll go wherever you want: to Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern… But this year, please stay. You cannot go to Arsenal.’ And he convinced me. In this specific case, the same could happen to Julián: that Cholo takes him aside and tells him: ‘This year, I want you to stay with us.’ For me, it was a Liverpool legend, the captain, who convinced me. I listened to reason, then I went out to apologize, and it ended up being my best season at the club. Fans, even if we’ve done everything to force a departure, if we then step onto the field and they see us giving our all, working hard, and defending the club, they eventually applaud us.”
