Barcelona transfer news: Julian Alvarez delivers update on Atletico Madrid future amid excellent run of form

Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez has said that he is "very calm" amid the speculation surrounding his future.

The Argentina international has scored 36 goals and registered 11 assists in 65 appearances for Atletico since making the move to Diego Simeone's side from Manchester City in the summer of 2024.

Alvarez has been in excellent form this season, scoring seven goals and registering four assists in 11 appearances, including six goals and two assists in his last three matches.

The 25-year-old has netted five times in his last two La Liga appearances against Rayo Vallecano and Real Madrid, while he managed one goal and two assists in Atletico's 5-1 success over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Liverpool were linked with Alvarez over the summer, while there is currently strong speculation linking Barcelona with a move for the Argentine.

Alvarez "very calm" amid Barcelona, Liverpool transfer talk

Barcelona are believed to view Alvarez as a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski, while Liverpool are still thought to be keen on the South American despite signing Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike over the summer.

However, Alvarez has said that he is only focusing on Atletico amid the speculation surrounding his future.

"I’m very calm. There’s always talk but the truth is that the season is just starting now. My focus is on improving every day, win for Atletico. That’s the only thing on my mind… social media stories are beyond me," he told ESPN.

Alvarez scored 36 goals and registered 19 assists in 103 appearances for Man City, and it was somewhat of a surprise when Pep Guardiola's side allowed him to leave in 2024.

However, the presence of Erling Haaland at the Etihad Stadium meant that it was always going to be difficult for Alvarez to secure a run of matches in his favoured centre-forward spot.

Will Alvarez leave Atletico next summer?

While Alvarez is happy at Atletico, there is no question that he will want to be challenging for the biggest trophies at this stage of his career.

That would be an offer at both Liverpool and Barcelona, but it is difficult to imagine the Premier League champions moving for him next year considering their transfer business over the summer.

Barcelona are the obvious suitors, with the Catalan outfit looking for a replacement for Lewandowski, and a lot of the signs are pointing towards a switch to Camp Nou at the end of the campaign.

However, there will have to be a major sale for that to occur, with Ronald Araujo and Fermin Lopez among those in the Barcelona squad who continue to be linked with big-money departures.