Julian Alvarez’s phone did not stop ringing last summer. Calls came from Rodrigo de Paul, Antoine Griezmann and Giuliano Simeone — and behind them all, messages from Diego Simeone. The World Cup-winning Argentina striker, fresh from sealing the Premier League with Manchester City, had to plead for a pause. “Tell your dad to stop calling,” he told Giuliano. He was coming to Atletico, he said — could they all give him some space?
Alvarez’s rise began in Calchin, a Córdoba town of just 3,000. His brother Rafael gave him the nickname ‘La Aranita’ — the Little Spider — because no one could prise the ball from him on the local pitch. At 11 he trialled with Real Madrid but returned home; at 15 River Plate scout Juanjo Borrelli brought him to Buenos Aires and he broke through rapidly. A breakout Copa Libertadores display — six goals in an 8-1 win over Alianza Lima — announced him to a wider world. Playing for River Plate, he says, made winning an obligation: “Once you’re at River,” he said, “you can never lose a game without it hurting you.”
City signed him in January 2022 and he won the Champions League in his debut season under Pep Guardiola at 23. But it was Simeone’s persistent courtship that changed his trajectory. Atletico presented a project with him at its centre and a chance to feel wanted. Simeone promised Alvarez could “give the club something huge” and be afforded the space to flourish. The pull of a Spanish-speaking dressing room and familiar faces helped, too.
In August 2024 Atletico completed a club-record deal — €95m (£81.5m) — and handed Alvarez a six-year contract, unveiling the signing with a Spider-Man video that delighted him. Reports say Paris Saint-Germain offered up to £8.7m a year, but Alvarez chose Atletico. Atletico insist he is not for sale for any less than €100m (£87m); he carries a €500m (£435m) release clause and president Enrique Cerezo has been unequivocal: “He has a contract with Atletico Madrid.”
Alvarez’s background keeps him grounded: a father who worked in a cereal factory, a mother who taught at a school, and a belief that respect must be earned. He presses from the front and sprints back to win the ball — traits Simeone, who rarely singles players out, has openly praised.
Across two seasons in red and white he has made 102 appearances and scored 47 goals. His La Liga form this season has been quieter — eight goals in 29 appearances, with only one scored in 2026. A strike against Oviedo in late February finally ended a 14-game league drought; his previous league goal had come against Sevilla on 1 November. By contrast, the Champions League has showcased the best of him: nine goals in 12 appearances this campaign.
One recent European display underlined the contrast. In the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final at the Camp Nou against Barcelona, Alvarez set up the incident that led to Pau Cubarsi’s red card and then curled in a polished free-kick. He was named man of the match. It’s no surprise Barcelona have been linked with a move to replace an ageing Robert Lewandowski and an inconsistent Ferran Torres, but Atletico say Barcelona’s finances make a move for Alvarez, with that price tag, unrealistic.
Alvarez has been careful when discussing transfer speculation. “I’m happy here,” he has said, but added, “I don’t know. You never know.” The Champions League run could be the deciding factor. If Atletico eliminate Barcelona and reach the semi-finals, staying will look like the route to trophies and growth. If Atletico are knocked out — even after taking a 2-0 advantage to the Camp Nou — Alvarez may well reassess whether this is the right place for the next stage of his career.
