Julian Alvarez has indicated his desire for a summer switch to Barcelona and would favour staying in Spain over a return to England. The 26-year-old is the subject of links with moves to Arsenal and Chelsea amid growing uncertainty over his future at Atletico Madrid.

Alvarez arrived at Atletico in 2024 following two years at Manchester City, where he collected six major honours. His Premier League stint proved successful, with Alvarez finding the net 20 times across 67 top-flight outings for City before departing for Diego Simeone's side in an £82million transfer.

Alvarez registered 29 goals in 57 appearances during his debut season at the Wanda Metropolitano. However, his output has dipped this term, with 13 strikes across 37 games.

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With Alexander Sorloth now established as Atletico's primary striker and Ademola Lookman making an impact following his January arrival from Atalanta, the Madrid outfit are contemplating offloading Alvarez. Barcelona have positioned themselves as the frontrunners for Alvarez's signature should he leave Atletico.

The attacker is seen as an ideal fit for Hansi Flick's vision at Camp Nou. Arsenal and Chelsea remain long-standing admirers of Alvarez and may launch a bid should he become available at a reasonable price.

Now, TyC Sports journalist Gaston Edul has offered an update on Alvarez's future, suggesting his preferred destination is Barcelona. "Julian will be a hot topic for the next six months and throughout the transfer window because he's a player who will be in high demand, and perhaps he's not that expensive for what he offers," Edul said.

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"Several clubs want him. He has two clubs interested in him: Arsenal and Chelsea, who are already known to be interested, and Barcelona. Barça has always wanted Julian; Barça already wanted him when he was at Manchester City. They even spoke, but never made an offer, and this interest remains.

"Julian chose to live in Spain because he liked the country, and he's keen on Barcelona to avoid returning to the cold of England, but Barcelona needs to be more concrete about what they're hinting at." Despite the attention, no concrete bid for Alvarez has materialised, and questions remain over Barcelona's financial ability to secure his signature.

Edul added: "It's good that they're communicating with his inner circle, letting it be known that they want him, but then they don't have the money to buy him. He's the best striker in the world, and he comes at a price."

The Gunners were pursuing a deal for Alvarez before his switch to Atletico in 2024. Chelsea were likewise targeting a move for the Argentine, who still has four-and-a-half years remaining on his Madrid contract.

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