Barcelona had a €150 million pre-agreement with Atletico Madrid for Julian Alvarez – reports

The Julian Alvarez saga has officially reopened, and in grand style, with Real Madrid surprisingly entering the race for the Argentine striker.

As opposed to usual transfers in football, the dealings for Alvarez have been surprisingly public.

After all, Atletico Madrid first hit out at Barcelona on social media for their approach to the player and have even reacted openly to Real Madrid’s €150 million proposal that was tabled with an official announcement.

What is clear amid all the rapid developments is that Atletico Madrid are not being transparent or understanding of the player’s situation, and the player’s silence makes it clear that he wants the chaos and an out from his current club.

Far from over

As revealed by El Partidazo de COPE in a recent update, Alvarez indeed does not want to continue at Atletico Madrid next season at any cost. The reason for his firm stance is that he does not get along well with Diego Simeone.

The outlet mentions that Barcelona and Atletico Madrid reportedly had a preliminary deal in place for his transfer, which included a fee of €150 million.

The Catalans offered just €100 million and attempted to secure it for less, allowing Florentino Perez to enter and use it as a ploy to even win Real Madrid’s presidential election.

With the player strongly willing to leave and even Barcelona eager to complete his signing, further developments are expected in the coming weeks.

A long-drawn drama

Atletico Madrid openly rejected Real Madrid’s offer of €150 million for Alvarez, which leaves Barcelona in a tricky spot because that was not a number they intended to reach.

Further, Los Rojiblancos’ decision to openly hit out on social media means that a deal is now complicated.

The player’s will and pressure from the inside is what has to pull the deal forward at this point, and it will be a long-drawn saga.

In all probability, the negotiations will extend until after the FIFA World Cup and Alvarez’s performance at the event may play a role in boosting or sinking the transfer fee.