On international duty with Spain at the World Cup, Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has publicly expressed his desire for the Catalan giants to sign Julian Alvarez, currently of Atletico Madrid.

Yamal, 18, made his feelings clear regarding the 26-year-old forward, who has himself indicated a willingness to move to Barcelona this summer. Speaking to Cadena SER, cited by Sportbible, Yamal didn’t hold back on his admiration for Alvarez.

“I’m not thinking about it too much, but I’d love it, because [Julian Alvarez] is a great player,” Yamal stated. “If he comes, we’ll welcome him with open arms… If I were him, I’d do it. We’ll be waiting for him if he wants to come. [I say] go for it.”

Alvarez’s future a hot topic

Alvarez’s potential departure from Atletico Madrid has become one of the summer’s most talked-about transfer sagas. Despite his public interest in a switch to Camp Nou, Barcelona faces stiff competition for his signature.

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Several European heavyweights are reportedly vying for Alvarez, including:

• Paris Saint-Germain

• Arsenal

• Real Madrid

Real Madrid, in particular, has already seen a substantial €150 million (£171m) bid for Alvarez rejected earlier this month, underscoring his high value in the market. Football pundit Maxi Rodriguez believes that Atletico Madrid and Barcelona should work towards an agreement for the player.

Barcelona has already been active in the transfer window, securing the services of Anthony Gordon this summer. The potential addition of Alvarez would further bolster Hansi Flick’s squad as he aims to become the first coach since Pep Guardiola to lift the La Liga trophy in three consecutive seasons, and guide Barcelona to their first Champions League title since 2015.

Spain’s World Cup ambitions

Beyond club football, Yamal also reflected on Spain’s performance at the World Cup, where they are considered a strong contender. The young forward acknowledged the team’s struggles to hit top gear so far.

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“International football is different from club football. I’m gaining experience and figuring out how to handle the return from injury,” Yamal commented, adding, “Now I feel great, and I’m really looking forward to Thursday.”

Assessing Spain’s group stage matches, Yamal admitted that expectations were higher for the team’s displays. “It’s true that everyone expected us to play better, but we faced different types of teams, none of them European,” he explained. “They were tough matches, especially the third one. There were a lot of stoppages. The game against Saudi Arabia was good, and the Cape Verde match was the opener. I don’t think we’ve played a really great match yet… Once we hit our stride — and we definitely will — we’ll be almost unstoppable.”

Spain is set to face Austria in the Round of 32 on Thursday, a crucial fixture as they look to build momentum and live up to their billing as tournament hopefuls.

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