Barcelona’s chase for Julian Alvarez stalls as Atletico resists
FC Barcelona is actively pursuing Argentine striker Julian Alvarez from Atlético Madrid, but the Spanish club has rejected any approach and lodged a formal complaint with FIFA accusing Barcelona of tapping‑up the player. Barcelona’s reported €100 million offer remains unanswered, and the dispute could lead to sanctions for both sides.
With the primary target blocked, Barcelona is evaluating several alternatives. Benfica’s Greek forward Vangelis Pavlidis is on the shortlist, but Benfica says he will only move for an “irresistible” offer of around €40‑45 million. Midfielder Azzedine Ounahi of Girona is also being considered to cover the long‑term injury to Frenkie de Jong. Additionally, 18‑year‑old Egyptian striker Hamza Abdelkarim has impressed during pre‑season and is being weighed as a possible solution.
Coach Hansi Flick downplayed rumors, stating he does not “dream” about signing Alvarez and that the focus remains on the current squad, which already includes recent arrivals Karim Adeyemi and Jesse Bisiwu.
Entities: Arsenal Football Club · Atlético Madrid · Azzedine Ounahi · Benfica · FC Barcelona · Ferran Torres · Hansi Flick · Julian Álvarez · Marcus Rashford · Tottenham Hotspur · Vangelis Pavlidis
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 7 SOURCES] Barcelona is considering Azzedine Ounahi as a midfield option due to Frenkie de Jong’s injury. (existing)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Barcelona is interested in signing Vangelis Pavlidis from Benfica. (multiple reports)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Atletico Madrid filed a complaint with FIFA accusing Barcelona of tapping up Julian Alvarez. (existing)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Barcelona has offered around €100 million for Julian Alvarez. (existing)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Barcelona are considering Vangelis Pavlidis as a Plan B alternative to Julian Alvarez. (5f510495-8e3d-429c-a32c-8de0a6ab9c85, eff0eb7b-16a2-4707-afa4-aa23a9783287, dc140921-96ef-4382-9441-de1053613729)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Ferran Torres’ contract expires in 12 months and he is linked with interest from Arsenal, Tottenham and Paris Saint‑Germain. (multiple articles)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Pavlidis has scored 64 goals in 112 matches for Benfica. (club statistics)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Benfica will only sell Vangelis Pavlidis for an “irresistible” offer of about €40‑45 million. (existing)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Barcelona are evaluating Azzedine Ounahi as a midfield option due to Frenkie de Jong's injury. (multiple articles)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Atletico Madrid has refused to sell Julian Alvarez and filed a FIFA complaint against Barcelona. (existing)
- [● 11 SOURCES] Barcelona are pursuing Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid. (new)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Barcelona is considering Vangelis Pavlidis (Benfica) as an alternative to Julian Alvarez. (existing)