How Barcelona’s decision to bet on Ferran Torres cost them a chance to sign Atletico Madrid goal machine | OneFootball

A recent report from Mundo Deportivo has revealed that Atletico Madrid’s star forward, Julian Alvarez, was once on Barcelona’s radar during the 2021-22 season.

However, the urgency to bring in a striker immediately led the Catalan club to prioritise the signing of Ferran Torres instead.

At present, Alvarez has established himself as Atletico Madrid’s most crucial attacking player. His contribution of 19 goals in 38 matches has been instrumental for Diego Simeone’s side.

Given how his career has progressed, it is interesting to consider how things might have been different had Barcelona opted to sign him instead of Torres.

The Argentine forward was indeed on the club’s shortlist, but in the end, the management chose to make a move for Torres.

Why Torres?

Barcelona secured Torres from Manchester City in the winter transfer window of the 2021-22 season.

Julian Alvarez could have played for Barcelona. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

At that time, the team was in urgent need of reinforcements to secure Champions League qualification, which made the former Valencia forward the preferred choice.

The club decided to invest in Torres rather than wait for Alvarez, who was still playing in Argentina for River Plate.

Despite his limited playing time in Argentina’s Copa America-winning campaign in 2021, Alvarez had already caught the attention of European clubs.

Barcelona had monitored his development at River Plate, where he was excelling at both club level and in Argentina’s youth teams.

City grabbed the opportunity

Interestingly, River Plate were not keen on letting him leave immediately and negotiated a deal with Manchester City that allowed him to remain in Argentina until the end of the season.

City secured his signing on 31 January 2022 for a fee of €18.5 million plus €8.5 million in add-ons. The agreement ensured Alvarez would continue playing at River Plate before officially joining Pep Guardiola’s squad in the summer.

Now, Alvarez is a key figure at Atletico Madrid under Simeone’s management. He currently leads the club’s scoring charts with 19 goals, surpassing even Antoine Griezmann and Alexander Sorloth.