Barcelona among clubs to have probed about World Cup-winning Man City forward

According to journalist Cesar Luis Merlo, Barcelona and a few other clubs have made enquiries about Manchester City and Argentina forward Julian Alvarez.

The 23-year-old striker signed for the Cityzens in January last year from River Plate, although he arrived at the club in the summer. He has since made a decent impact for Pep Guardiola’s side, bagging ten goals in 30 matches.

However, with Erling Haaland the undisputed starter at the Etihad Stadium, Alvarez, who won the FIFA World cup with Argentina last year, has had to make do with a secondary role.

Hence, the report states that there could be a possibility of a loan move in the summer transfer window if his role does not improve significantly in the coming months.

And, Barcelona are among the clubs who have probed about the Argentine forward amidst the possibility of him leaving on loan.

The Catalans are in the market for a new striker next summer and have identified Vitor Roque of Athletico Paranaense as one of their top targets.

However, the Brazilian is likely to cost around €35-40 million, which could be a challenge amidst the club’s current financial situation. Irrespective of that, they are expected to press ahead with their pursuit of the 17-year-old striker.

At the same time, though, it seems like they are keeping their options open with Alvarez among the potential targets, with enquiries being made.

The report states that even though his contract runs until 2027, Manchester City are already in talks to extend his deal further. However, an agreement is yet to be reached upon.

Furthermore, should his role within Guardiola’s scheme does not improve, a loan exit could be on the cards in the summer. And, Barcelona are among the teams alert to the situation.

Given the Fair Play situation, it would not come as a surprise to see the Blaugrana explore the free transfer and the loan market in the summer. Whether the initial probing with regard to Alvarez’s situation leads to something substantial remains to be seen.