Barcelona could have signed priority target for only €20 million not very long ago
Barcelona’s pursuit of Julian Alvarez may dominate today’s transfer headlines, but the club had the chance to sign the Argentine striker long before he became one of world football’s most sought-after forwards.
Indeed, according to AS, back in 2022, while Alvarez was still starring for River Plate, he was offered to Barcelona as he prepared to make the leap to European football.
At the time, his price tag was just €20 million, making him one of the market’s biggest bargains.
A dream move that never happened
As per the report, Alvarez’s representatives believed Barcelona would be the ideal destination for him when he decided to leave River Plate.
The Argentine striker had always dreamed of playing alongside Lionel Messi, and while that would not be possible, his name was still offered to Barcelona’s sporting department during Joan Laporta’s presidency.
Despite recognizing his enormous potential, the Catalan club ultimately chose a different path.
Barcelona were offered Julian Alvarez when he was at River Plate. (Photo by Rodrigo Valle/Getty Images)
Barcelona chose Ferran Torres instead
Although Alvarez represented an affordable opportunity, Barcelona had more immediate priorities.
As such, the club invested €55 million to sign Ferran Torres from Manchester City while also bringing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Arsenal to Camp Nou on loan to strengthen the attack.
At the time, then-manager Xavi Hernandez also had other established forwards at his disposal, including Ousmane Dembele and Memphis Depay.
With attacking positions already crowded, Barcelona decided not to pursue Alvarez.
Manchester City moved quickly
The same proposal presented to Laporta was also offered to Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano. Unlike Barcelona, City acted decisively and secured the Argentine’s signature.
Following the agreement, Alvarez remained on loan at River Plate for several months before officially joining Pep Guardiola’s squad in July 2022.
Although he enjoyed success at Manchester City, regular starts proved difficult to come by. With Erling Haaland established as the club’s first-choice striker, the Argentine often found himself playing a secondary role.
After two seasons, he decided to seek a new challenge. Alvarez eventually joined Atletico Madrid, although those close to the player had reservations about the transfer from the beginning.
In hindsight, those concerns appear justified. After two seasons under Diego Simeone, the striker has struggled to establish the relationship he hoped for with the Argentine coach and now wants to move on.
Barcelona back in for Alvarez
The priority target. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
Now the story has come full circle. Barcelona, the club that once declined the opportunity to sign Alvarez for around €20 million, arenow actively pursuing him as its preferred successor to Robert Lewandowski.
The circumstances, however, are completely different. Having established himself as one of Europe’s elite forwards, Alvarez now commands a transfer fee many times higher than the one Barcelona passed on just a few years ago.
Inside Barcelona, there is strong belief that the 26-year-old would thrive under Hansi Flick. The club’s sporting department considers him an excellent tactical fit thanks to his complete skill set.
Barcelona also believe that playing alongside creative talents such as Lamine Yamal, Anthony Gordon, Pedri and the rest of Flick’s attacking unit would allow Alvarez to reach another level.
The opportunity that once slipped away has returned, but this time the cost of bringing the Argentine to Camp Nou is far greater than it was in 2022.
