Barcelona's First Bid for Julián Álvarez After Gordon Signing

Barcelona are wasting no time shaping the next version of their attack.

With Anthony Gordon’s arrival from Newcastle United virtually tied up, the La Liga champions are already turning to the next piece of the puzzle: their main centre-forward target, Julián Álvarez of Atletico Madrid.

Deco steps in, Álvarez pushes to leave

According to Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona are preparing their first official offer to Atletico for the Argentine striker ahead of the summer window. The groundwork has already started behind closed doors.

Sporting director Deco met directly with Álvarez’s agent earlier this week, in a meeting mediated by Juanma Lopez. That encounter has sharpened the outlines of the deal and confirmed one crucial detail: the player wants out.

Álvarez has already informed Atletico Madrid that he intends to leave and has rejected the club’s proposal for a contract renewal. That stance changes the mood around the negotiation. Atletico may want to hold firm, but they now know they are dealing with a forward who sees his future elsewhere.

Barcelona’s plan is clear. They want to position themselves early, lock in terms, and have the framework of a transfer in place well before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, when they expect the market around a 26-year-old, World Cup-level forward to explode.

A €100m ceiling meets a €150m wall

Inside the Camp Nou offices, Álvarez is viewed as the priority No. 9 target. Yet even for their first-choice striker, Barcelona have set a hard financial line: €100 million.

Atletico Madrid are on a very different page. They do not want to strengthen a direct domestic rival and are currently holding out for around €150 million. That gap, both sporting and political, sets up a tense negotiation.

The player’s stance could prove decisive. With Álvarez already communicating his desire to leave, pressure will build on Atletico’s hierarchy as the window progresses. A drawn-out standoff is possible, but every public or private step from the striker nudges the balance a little further towards the exit door.

For now, Barcelona are readying their opening bid and preparing to sit across the table from Atletico for formal talks. One major attacking signing is almost over the line in Gordon.

The next one, Álvarez, could define the shape of their forward line for years.