Julian Alvarez issues bombshell statement after Argentina game to force move out of Atletico

Julian Alvarez has publicly declared his desire to leave Atletico Madrid this summer following Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria.

With the World Cup currently ongoing across North America, it's easy to forget that there is still plenty of transfer business to happen over the summer.

Although the Premier League transfer window is already open, allowing Liverpool to secure a shock deal for Victor Munoz, the window is not yet open for many other European leagues.

The transfer window for LaLiga and Bundesliga clubs opens on July 1, while in Serie A the market begins on June 29.

Despite this, rumours linking several of the biggest players in Europe with major moves have been circulating for weeks.

One of the most notable transfer sagas of the window so far centres around Atletico Madrid striker Alvarez, with Real Madrid reportedly desperate to sign the former Man City star.

On June 9, Real submitted a bid of €150million for Alvarez, with Atletico Madrid immediately declining while releasing a bizarre statement lashing out at their La Liga rivals.

However, it was reported early on Monday that, following his participation in Argentina's campaign to defend their World Cup title, Alvarez would consider taking things to his own hands in order to force Atletico to let him leave this summer, but not for Real Madrid.

As per Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Alvarez now only has eyes for one club other than his current one, Barcelona, and that he was planning to release a public endorsement of the move to allow the move to happen.

The report claims that the 26-year-old and his agent, Fernando Hidalgo, are carefully weighing their next moves following his agent's meeting with Deco, Barcelona's director of football.

As it stands, Alvarez's contract with Atletico Madrid runs until 2030, meaning they hold all the cards should they decide to keep the striker.

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But the forward is acutely aware that, if he is to do so, he would have to ensure that it is not done at the expense of his national team, as he doesn't want to take the attention away from their World Cup campaign.

He decided to make his public pronouncement after Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria, telling reporters (as per Fabrizio Romano): "The best thing for me is a transfer and I want to fulfil my dream."

How much will Barcelona pay for Julian Alvarez?

Given the fact that Atletico Madrid have already very publicly declined a massive €150m offer for Alvarez from Real Madrid, Barcelona in a difficult situation as they are reportedly unwilling to spend as much as that figure.

However, Barcelona are said to have believed that Alvarez would speak out to help facilitate the move, with a public saga and pressure from the inside helping facilitate a deal at a more palatable price tag.

Even despite Alvarez's public comments before the end of the World Cup, it is believed that negotiations could drag on throughout the summer.