Lamine Yamal has expressed his desire to see Julian Alvarez join Barcelona, describing the Atletico Madrid forward as a 'top player' who would be a 'great fit' at the Camp Nou. The 18-year-old Barcelona star made the comments amid intense speculation over Alvarez's future following a stellar 2025/26 campaign in which he scored 20 goals in 49 appearances for Los Colchoneros.
Barcelona leads chase for Alvarez
Barcelona and Champions League holders PSG are understood to be expressing strong interest in Alvarez, while Premier League champions Arsenal have also been heavily linked with the Argentina international. Recent reports from Spain claimed the Gunners had even made contact with Atletico over a potential swap transfer involving Alvarez and Viktor Gyokeres. However, Barcelona are believed to be in pole position to secure a deal, though their opening offer of €100 million (£86.4m) was rejected by their La Liga rivals.
Alvarez, who left Manchester City to join Atletico for £82m in 2024, fuelled exit rumours two weeks ago by making no secret of his desire to leave the Metropolitano Stadium to fulfil a 'dream' elsewhere. Speaking after Argentina's World Cup victory over Jordan, he told ESPN: 'Honestly, I don't know. I don't think it's the right time to talk about this, but I can't hide or pretend otherwise either. I try to be an honest person. I spoke with the people at the club I needed to speak with. The best thing for everyone is a transfer. I want to fulfil my dream.'
Yamal's endorsement
Asked for his thoughts on potentially playing alongside Alvarez, Yamal told Mundo Deportivo: 'Everyone knows he's a top player, the kind everyone wants to play alongside. I've already said it: we're open to welcoming him, and if he comes, we'll all be very happy. I think he's a great fit for Barca's style. I have no idea what the situation is, but I hope so.'
Alvarez's contract with Atletico includes a €500 million (£431m) release clause, putting the La Liga outfit in a strong negotiating position. Atletico president Enrique Cerezo reacted to Alvarez's comments about wanting to leave, telling Spanish radio station RNE: 'They caught us by surprise and we have done what we had to do. We've said that he is an Atletico de Madrid player and that we have no offers from anyone. Even if there were offers, we do not want to sell him.'
Alvarez's record at Atletico
Since joining Atletico from Manchester City in 2024, Alvarez has racked up 49 goals and 17 assists in 106 appearances. His current contract runs through to June 2030. Atletico manager Diego Simeone, speaking before the team's Champions League exit to Arsenal, said it was 'normal' that a player of Alvarez's quality was being pursued by top clubs. 'I'm not in Julian's head,' Simeone told reporters. 'I understand that it's normal that an extraordinary player like Julian Alvarez is wanted by Arsenal, PSG, Barcelona. It's normal because he's so good.'
