Manchester United have reportedly joined Barcelona and Real Madrid in the race to sign wantaway Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez.
According to AS journalist Marcos Duran, the Red Devils are contemplating an audacious summer swoop for the €200m-rated forward.
Currently away on World Cup duty with Argentina, Alvarez recently confirmed his intention to leave the Metropolitano Stadium in the coming months.
Despite joining Los Colchoneros only two years ago for a reported fee of €95m, the 26-year-old has grown frustrated with his life in Spain’s capital.
Last season wasn’t particularly impressive for the former Manchester City man, who only netted eight goals in 29 appearances in La Liga.
However, Alvarez excelled in other competitions, tallying 12 goals and five assists across 19 matches between the UEFA Champions League and Copa del Rey.
Diego Simeone hasn’t always trusted the Argentine striker as his leading attacking option, which has only intensified talk of a summer exit.
Record-breaking signing
Paul Pogba remains Man Utd’s most expensive acquisition as the Red Devils shattered a then-world record to bring the Frenchman back to Old Trafford in 2016, paying Juventus an eye-watering €105m for his signature.
Alvarez’s potential arrival would require the club to smash that record, with Atletico reportedly slapping a prohibitive €200m price tag on their forward’s shoulders ahead of an upcoming bidding war.
Whether United would be willing to sanction such an extraordinary outlay remains to be seen, especially considering the scale of investment required and the financial implications of breaking their transfer record by such a significant margin.
Since Michael Carrick’s men have returned to the Champions League, money should not be a problem, but there’s a feeling that they would be wise to focus on strengthening other departments.
With Casemiro gone and Manuel Ugarte set to leave the club, there’s a gaping hole in the middle of the park, and Man Utd had hoped to fill it with Elliot Anderson, only to lose out to Man City.
Committing the majority of the summer budget to lure Alvarez to the Theatre of Dreams could leave the 20-time English champions with limited room to reinforce other key areas of the squad.
On that basis, a mega-money move for the unsettled Atletico forward may prove difficult to justify unless the Red Devils can generate substantial funds through player sales.
Crowded area
Man Utd went on a spending spree last summer to assemble a potent frontline, splashing out north of €240m to recruit the likes of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko.
All three players played pivotal roles in United’s top-four quest last term, especially the former duo, though it’s worth noting that Sesko netted numerous crucial goals in the second half of the season.
Indeed, the Slovenian striker seems to have started repaying the club’s faith after a relatively slow start to life at Old Trafford, reducing the need for another marquee investment in the attacking department.
There’s little doubt that Alvarez would be a mouth-watering signing for the Red Devils and arguably an upgrade on Sesko, but dedicating such enormous resources to a position that already appears well covered makes little sense.
Alvarez’s arrival would put Sesko’s long-term development in harm’s way, which is why Man Utd are far more likely to pursue a cheaper option to provide competition to the 23-year-old without compromising his future at the club.
Crystal Palace talisman Jean-Philippe Mateta has emerged as a more attainable target for United, while Galatasaray superstar Victor Osimhen remains a ‘dream’ signing despite his stratospheric market price.
Either way, Alvarez looks set to remain out of reach for United, as the size of the transfer fee and competition for his signature complicate any potential move.
2026-06-25 15:25:31
