Flick Asks Barça for One Last Push on Julian Alvarez
Julian Alvarez remains Hansi Flick’s one outstanding target of the summer, and the Barcelona head coach has asked his club for a final effort to land the Atlético Madrid striker before the window shuts on 31 August. The request was reported by Jijantes and relayed by Barça Blaugranes, with the German unwilling to let the pursuit die quietly.
“Flick has asked Barça not to give up on Julián,” Jijantes reported, adding that the head coach has “requested one last push to try to sign” the Argentina international.
Atlético’s position has not shifted all summer. Atlético chief Gil Marín has insisted the forward is not for sale and previously accused Barcelona of “disrespecting his club”. The player has pulled the other way: Alvarez is back at Atlético this week after the World Cup, is reported to have told Diego Simeone he wants a move to Barcelona, and is expected to sit down with Gil Marín next week to discuss his future.
Julian Alvarez decision due within days
The urgency is obvious at the other end of the pitch. Robert Lewandowski left for Chicago Fire this summer and the agreed sale of Ferran Torres to Paris Saint-Germain, worth close to €50m, has stripped Flick of his other senior centre-forward option. Fabrizio Romano reports that this week has been set aside for one concrete attempt, and that if nothing moves, the sporting department will begin working through alternatives from next week.
Deco is understood to be keen on Villarreal’s Georges Mikautadze, but Gerard Romero says Flick “does not see it clearly”, and the Yellow Submarine want €60-65m. That reluctance explains the last push: for the head coach, there is still only one name on the list.
