Pedri Praises Barcelona Target, Julián Álvarez
June 26, 2026 · Global
Pedri has expressed his admiration for Julián Álvarez and hopes the Argentinian joins Barcelona, despite Atlético Madrid opposing a possible transfer.
Barcelona is not giving up its efforts to recruit Julián Álvarez. The Argentinian was reportedly open to a move from Atlético Madrid, but the Madrid club rejected the offer. Now, Barcelona has received support from Pedri, who praised Álvarez.
In a conversation with Teledeporte, Pedri did not hide his admiration for the Argentine striker. He wanted Álvarez to join Barcelona. "I think there is still a lot to do for this to happen and I don't want to interfere between the club and the player's situation," said Pedri. "I like players like Julián and I have always said that I want to be surrounded by the best players at Barcelona. If that happens, it would be amazing."
This is not the first time Barcelona has taken this kind of approach to entice players to move. In 2018, they also did the same for Antoine Griezmann, and Nico Williams has also been linked with a transfer to Barcelona in recent years.
Atlético Madrid was not happy with the way Barcelona approached this. The club based in the Spanish capital has submitted a complaint to FIFA. "Julián has a dream, but we as Atlético fans also have a dream. It is true that he has spoken to us, but it is also true that he understands our position very well. We have been very clear: Atlético does not want to give up his rights. He is a great player and we are very proud that he plays for us."