Atletico Madrid's Sales Crisis Boosts Barcelona's Hopes for Alvarez Deal

Barcelona is keeping a close eye on Atletico Madrid's situation in the summer transfer market, as the capital club needs to sell players worth over €80 million, potentially paving the way for Argentine striker Julian Alvarez to join the Catalan side.

Spanish newspaper "Sport" reported that Atletico Madrid has spent over €80 million on signings such as Lee Kang-in, Heulmand, and Grimaldo, making it necessary for them to finalize several sales to balance their financial accounts and register new signings.

The report added that the club had planned to sell Thiago Almada, Alexander Sørloth, José María Giménez, and Rogério, but none of these deals have been finalized yet, except for the progress in negotiations for Almada's transfer to River Plate for €20 million for 50% of his rights, which is insufficient to meet the club's financial goals.

It was noted that the stalled sale of Sørloth, for which Atletico Madrid is asking for €40 million, may lead the club to consider selling Julian Alvarez to continue their plan to strengthen the team, which includes signing a replacement for Antoine Griezmann, as well as a top-class defender, and possibly a new striker if the Norwegian forward departs.

Meanwhile, Barcelona continues to monitor the situation without changing its strategy, as the Spanish newspaper confirmed that the club's management remains firm on its financial offer of €100 million, including fixed and variable components, believing that Atletico Madrid's need to sell players may eventually lead them to the negotiation table.

The report also clarified that Barcelona does not consider Arsenal's moves to sign Julian Alvarez to be a significant threat, as they are confident in the player's desire to move to Camp Nou, and they await developments in the days following the World Cup, which may bring decisive changes regarding the future of the transfer.