Atletico Madrid's Priority: Vlahovic
FC Barcelona has been left frustrated by Atletico Madrid's stance on Julian Alvarez, who is currently a priority transfer target for the Rojiblancos. Despite Barça making an offer and Alvarez himself requesting to leave, Atletico remains firm in its position that the Argentine player is not for sale.
Now, it appears that Atletico Madrid director Mateu Alemany is preparing to pursue one of the strikers linked with Barcelona this summer. According to Matteo Moretto (h/t SPORT), Atleti's top priority is now Dusan Vlahovic, a move designed to strengthen Diego Simeone's attack.
Barça Monitoring, Atletico Making Moves
Vlahovic has attracted interest from several clubs across Europe, including Barcelona. However, until now, the striker has been delaying talks with other clubs, waiting for developments in potential offers from La Liga champions. The Blaugrana, though, have yet to make a concrete move, preferring to wait for other operations, particularly the future of Ferran Torres.
That hesitation has allowed Alemany to step in. The Atletico sporting director has begun exploring Vlahovic's situation, with reports suggesting that the Serbian striker now sees a move to the Metropolitano as his preferred option. At 26, Vlahovic is now a free agent after the expiry of his contract with Juventus, meaning he can join any club without a transfer fee.
The Serbian striker endured another difficult campaign due to injury setbacks, limiting him to 23 appearances during which he scored 10 goals and provided two assists. Fitness concerns have made some clubs cautious, but there is still widespread belief that, if he can stay healthy, Vlahovic possesses the quality and goalscoring instincts to rediscover his best form.
Another Barça-Linked Target for Atletico?
Should Alexander Sorloth depart, Atletico could once again beat Barcelona to the signing of a player previously linked with the Catalan club. The Spanish capital club are already closing in on Cristian Romero, another footballer who had been heavily linked with Barça earlier in the summer.
That move is seen as a strategy from Alemany to convince Alvarez to stay, given that he and Romero are close friends from their time together with the Argentina national team.
