Julian Alvarez drops transfer bombshell moments after World Cup game

Julian Alvarez has made a public request to be sold by Atletico Madrid.

The former Manchester City forward spoke to the media moments after Argentina beat Austria 1-0 to book their place in the World Cup’s last-32, where he made the bombshell demand.

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He said: “I want to fulfill my dream. I have spoken with the people at the club that I needed to speak to. The best thing for my future is a transfer.”

The 26-year-old is believed to have already agreed personal terms with Barcelona on a five-year contract.

Barca have already seen an £86million bid rejected by Atletico.

Atletico are looking for more than the £104m they received for selling Antoine Griezmann to the current LaLiga champions in 2019.

They subsequently took to social media to troll their rivals after rejecting the bid.

Barcelona have already signed Anthony Gordon for £70m this summer and are still keen on Marcus Rashford.

Rashford spent last season on loan from Man United, but Barca did not activate their £26m option.

They are hoping to either get him back on loan or negotiate a lower fee.

Real Madrid also made an audacious £130m bid for the Argentina star.

That offer was quickly rejected and they again took to social media to blast their rivals.

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Julian Alvarez’s career

Man City paid just £14m to sign him from River Plate in January 2022 and it proved to be a real bargain.

That summer he won the World Cup with Argentina, having already been a Copa America champion.

He helped City to the treble in his first season with the club to win every top prize on offer in football.

Atletico paid around £82m in August 2024, despite City not wanting Alvarez to leave.

There was an Erling Haaland shaped problem preventing him from becoming the main man at City.

“There was never any kind of problem,” he said in 2025. “I simply told him how I felt — that I wanted more minutes in some matches where I knew I wouldn’t get them, or simply wasn’t getting them.”

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On Guardiola, he added: “Of course he understood.

“Players always want more minutes, they want to grow, they want to play the big moments. And if I felt I wasn’t going to have them there, he gave me the freedom to choose my path.”

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