Arsenal and Barcelona are monitoring Julian Alvarez ahead of the summer transfer window, though Atletico Madrid are unlikely to sanction a sale below the £104m record fee they received for Antoine Griezmann in 2019. According to Fabrizio Romano, the 26-year-old forward will delay any decision on his future until the conclusion of Atletico's Champions League campaign. Meanwhile, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (25) is expected to remain at Paris Saint-Germain despite tentative links to the Premier League, with the French champions categorising the winger as untouchable just 15 months after his arrival from Napoli.
Atletico Madrid hold firm on Julian Alvarez valuation
As first reported by Soccernews, Atletico Madrid have no intention of letting Alvarez depart cheaply. The Argentine, who is under contract at the Metropolitano until 2030, remains central to Diego Simeone's plans as the club prepares for a Champions League semi-final. Speaking on the Daily Briefing, Fabrizio Romano clarified: "I can guarantee that nothing will develop on the Julian Alvarez story in the next few days because Atletico Madrid are preparing for a Champions League semi-final." Any move for the forward would require a fee exceeding £100m, potentially pricing out Barcelona given their ongoing salary cap constraints. Arsenal's interest follows a season where Mikel Arteta has frequently rotated Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, yet still lacks a prolific 20-goal-a-season striker to bridge the gap to Manchester City.
PSG and RB Leipzig move to secure key assets
Paris Saint-Germain have dismissed suggestions that Kvaratskhelia could be sold this summer. Romano reported that the player's father has publicly confirmed the winger is happy in Paris and has no plans to leave. Having only joined in January 2025, Kvaratskhelia has become the technical profile PSG intend to build around following the post-Mbappe transition. In Germany, RB Leipzig are employing a familiar tactical play with Yan Diomande (19). According to CaughtOffside, the Bundesliga side are in talks to hand the teenage winger a pay rise in exchange for a release clause. This strategy, previously used to manage the departures of Dayot Upamecano and Christopher Nkunku, aims to maximize value amid interest from Liverpool and Manchester United while ensuring the player remains for at least one more developmental season.
With Atletico Madrid still competing on the European stage, the forward market remains paused until seasonal objectives are finalised in May.