Julian Alvarez’s route out of Atletico Madrid may run through his own scoring column.

According to a report from Barca Universal citing the Spanish programme El Chiringuito, Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin has told Alvarez the value of his release clause can be reduced, but only on one condition: the striker must score at least 20 goals in the 2026-27 season.

That framing pushes any reopening of talks to the end of the campaign rather than the January window. It also lands after a summer in which the 26-year-old pushed hard to join Barcelona, only for Atletico’s refusal to negotiate beneath the clause to shut the move down.

Barcelona’s blocked summer bid

Barcelona were the only serious suitor for Alvarez during the 2026 summer window. Arsenal made an approach worth around €150m and manager Mikel Arteta spoke to the player directly, but Alvarez rejected the London club because his preference was Catalonia.

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Atletico held firm on the €500m figure throughout. With no club willing to trigger the clause and no negotiation forthcoming, the deal died and Alvarez stayed.

Relations between player and club have remained tense since. Alvarez has already featured in three matches this season, playing the full 90 minutes in Atletico’s Champions League tie against Liverpool in early September.

The scoring benchmark

The 20-goal bar itself is not out of reach for Alvarez. He scored 20 in La Liga last season and 29 across his debut campaign at Atletico after arriving from Manchester City, according to the figures cited by Barca Universal.

Whether the reported condition changes Barcelona’s thinking is a separate question. The Catalan club would still need Atletico to name a workable price at season’s end, and there is no indication in the reporting that a specific reduced figure has been discussed with the player or any prospective buyer.

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FIFA rule change on the horizon

Wider regulation may yet reshape the argument. FIFA has announced plans to amend Article 17 of its Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players from 1 January 2027, requiring clubs to adopt contracts where the fee for unilaterally terminating a deal is “reasonably proportionate to the circumstances of the transaction”.

The stated aim is to “prevent either party from using an exorbitant amount as a tool to effectively block a player’s departure”, language that speaks directly to disputes such as Alvarez’s.

Until then, the Barca Universal report is a claim relayed from a Spanish television programme, not a confirmed club position. Neither Atletico Madrid nor Barcelona have publicly addressed the reported 20-goal condition, and the €500m clause remains the only figure officially attached to Alvarez’s contract.

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